The Book Vault

TGIF!

2012-01-27T15:00:00.006-05:00

Buy or Borrow: Where do your books that you read come from? The bookstore? The library? Do you prefer to own a book, or have it on loan?

I tend to borrow the book I'm interested in from the library first, read it, and if I like it enough to add to my collection (and if I have money!), I tend to order it from Amazon or go to a local bookstore to pick up a copy! Of course that's an investment of time and space so I have to make sure I'm gonna reread it at least once before I spend money on it! I wish I could have a huge library a la Beauty and the Beast, but alas, all I have is my bookshelf in my room so I have to be a little more selective!

What about you? Buy or borrow?

This week @ The Book Vault:
Giveaway: Hexbound by Chloe Neill!
Reviews: Abandon by Meg Cabot

TGIF is hosted by GReads!

Follow Friday! (3)

2012-01-27T01:40:00.002-05:00

Follow Friday is a weekly feature hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read! It's a great opportunity to meet new bloggers and connect with fellow book lovers!!

Q: Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?

I don't think there's a genre that I avoid at all costs, but lately I've become rather weary of novels that feature vampires. Ever since Twilight exploded, vampires have run amok in the paranormal genre of YA! Of course there are some great books out there that feature vampires, but it seems to me at least that some books kind of jumped on the bandwagon and made their main characters vampires to join the craze. If the main character is a vampire, I don't mind as long as the story is engrossing, the characters well developed and the writing good! (The same things I'd want for any other novel!) But it's just that there are so many vampire books these days, I've been much more selective about the ones I pick up and read!

What genres are you avoiding?

Don't forget to checkout my giveaway for the Young Adult Giveaway Hop!

My Giveaway for the YA Giveaway Hop!

2012-01-26T18:15:00.002-05:00

For the YA giveaway hop I'm giving away 1 copy of Hexbound by Chloe Neill!

They say absolute power corrupts absolutely. Turns out, even a little magic can turn you to the dark side. That’s why Lily has to learn how to control her newly discovered paranormal abilities, on top of avoiding the snobs who think they run her school, nursing a crush on a cute sophomore with a big, werewolf-y secret, and fighting the good fight with her best friend Scout as they take on Chicago’s nastiest nightlife—including the tainted magic users known as Reapers.

Then Lily’s invited to a private meeting with Sebastian. He’s hot, powerful, and offering to help her harness the magic flowing in her veins in a way no one else can. He’s also a Reaper. Lily can’t hide her suspicions. But she’ll soon find out that the line between good and evil isn’t always clear…

Sorry, but this contest is only open to US residents!
Enter by midnight (EST) on Jan 31st

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Young Adult Giveaway Hop is being hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer & Down the Rabbit Hole!

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-25T09:20:00.004-05:00

Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
(HarperTeen/May 1, 2012)

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Anna, a tender-hearted southern girl, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it's time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace her halo or her horns?

"What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?" How's that for a thought-provoking question?! Sweet Evil sounds interesting, thrilling and sinfully good! And look at that cover! Whoa! Classy, but dark...is it just me are bad boys also the good looking ones?! I love the light & dark color contrast! Sweet Evil is definitely on my to-read list!
(The last line of the summary reminds me of the little shoulder angel and devils that frequented old cartoons! haha)

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Abandon by Meg Cabot

2012-01-23T09:37:00.002-05:00

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Release Date: April 16, 2011
Publisher: Point
Pages: 304

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

There's something definitely dramatic about Meg Cabot's writing! It's been a while since I've read anything by her, so it took a couple of chapters to accustomed to it again. I'm not the biggest fan of Meg Cabot's writing but I do prefer her style over those of some other authors. It may be dramatic, but it's relatively approachable and reads smoothly. I will say, however, that the vocabulary in this novel was really repetitive; the words "incident," "accident," "cemetery sexton," among others appeared over and over again.

The story is told predominantly in flashbacks, and I think this works for Abandon. As the story progresses, readers wonder what happened in Pierce's past and who is that John character? Readers are drawn in and kept interested by the flashbacks that present the readers with more insights to Pierce's past. Although I for one believe that the flashback style works for the novel, the actual story moved really rather slowly. It dragged at points, rehashing the past several times and nothing new happened for pages.

This book was marketed as a 'modern retelling of Persephone' of sorts but it hardly felt like that to me. I'm a big fan of mythology and spent plenty of time as a kid reading about them and I studied Latin (and to a lesser extent, Greek) in high school so I had an opportunity to re-visit and study the famous Greek and Roman mythology then. So when I heard about Abandon, I was excited! I love mythology from all cultures and I haven't read very many modern re-tellings of Persephone, but unfortunately, I was rather disappointed in this aspect. While Abandon has a few elements from the myth of Persephone (an underworld of sorts and a death deity) I would hardly call it a modern retelling of Persephone. Maybe it'll become more of a retelling in the later books in the trilogy, but book one, Abandon, definitely did not feel like a retelling.

The romance in the novel didn't seem very strong either; there was some mild chemistry between Pierce and John but John seemed really distant, a jerk at times, and inconsistent so it was hard to gauge the actual romantic interest between the two. But of course when the two finally kiss, the whole world is blocked out except for the kiss, everything else is forgotten, and he's so dark and mysterious but romantic, etc. etc. etc. which seemed cliche to me. I was hoping Meg Cabot was going to whip up a much stronger and steamy romance between the two leads, but alas, it was not so.

This last point might sound a bit nit-picky, but I for one was not very impressed by the name of Pierce's love interest, who also happens to be the aforementioned death deity: John. It sounds a bit, well, underwhelming and hardly impressive. With Meg Cabot's signature dramatic style of writing, I would have thought she would've picked a name that was a tad more impressive. Or at least one that matched the leading character (who's name was much more unique): Pierce.

I definitely have mixed feelings about this book; overall, I enjoyed it at points. However, none of the characters seemed very strong to me and not as memorable as those from Meg Cabot's other novels. Characters like Samantha from Meg Cabot's All-American Girl and Mia from The Princess Diaries definitely had a louder, more vibrant personality and Pierce seemed almost tame compared to Samantha and Mia. I'm not a fan of Pierce, though there are two more books left in this trilogy that could change my opinion! I found her a rather weak character who was careless, uncaring and not exactly the brightest bulb in the bunch. I'm hoping the trilogy gets better, though I'd have to say overall, I was disappointed with Abandon. I guess when you're already a best-selling author who is loved by so many fans, expectations are higher and unfortunately, I don't feel that Meg Cabot quite lived up to that expectation this time.

Overall: 3 out of 5
Plot: 3 stars
Characters: 2.75 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Cover: 5 stars

In My Mailbox

2012-01-22T07:17:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly
meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Here's what I got in my mailbox this week:

Perception by Kim Harrington
Curveball, the Year I Lost My Grip by Jordan Sonnenblick

Perception is the sequel to Clarity, which I recently reviewed! I'm hoping Clare's next adventure is as good as the first, if not better!

What fabulous books did you all get this week?
Leave a comment so I can check your IMM too!

Follow Friday! (2)

2012-01-20T13:43:00.002-05:00

Follow Friday is a weekly feature hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read! It's a great opportunity to meet new bloggers and connect with fellow book lovers!!

Q: What's the craziest thing you've ever done to get your hands on any particular book?

My answer'll probably be really boring compared to everyone else's since it wasn't exactly crazy, but I think the craziest thing I've done (though I can say I have no regrets!) was waiting to get the 6th Harry Potter book. I went to a small book release party at a local bookstore but when midnight came around and they were about to let people buy the books, the line was in no way organized so some of us ended up nearly pushed out the door! The line snaked everywhere in the store and it was rather messy until a manager managed to get us all in a somewhat organized line! Everyone was so excited, though, and it was a lot of fun. We were all swapping theories on what would happen and what "half blood prince" was referring to while we were waiting!

It took half of forever and plenty of getting jostled around but I got my hands on a copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince! Then of course like the bookworm that I am, I stayed up all night to read it!

So what is your craziest story??

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

2012-01-19T09:53:00.000-05:00

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Release Date: September 6, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 294

An impossible romance.
Bitter rivalries.
Deadly choices.

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

Jacinda's loyalty to her kind was tested and it was a very difficult struggle for her. Afterall, most of her pride has treated her as nothing more than a prize, the pride's only fire-breather. But they are still draki, and of course there are those in the pride that mean a lot to Jacinda.

I enjoyed reading Vanish and liked that it was fast-paced, just like Firelight was. Readers get to learn more about Cassian and get to see a different side of him. He becomes a character with more dimensions in Vanish and Tamara has really grown as well--hope to see more of her in the third book! Jordan's writing is very easy to read, approachable and with plenty of action, romance and draki, this fast-paced sequel to Firelight will keep readers hooked!

One thing that bugged me, however, was Jacinda's ping-pong game of emotions over her love interests. Will is back in her life, but Cassian has wedged his way in as well. As mentioned, readers will get to see a different side of him and understand him better, and he's not as cruel as one might have initially thought.
(Mild spoiler alert ahead! Stop reading here if you don't want to read the spoiler!------>) That said, some sparks fly between Cassian and Jacinda and after that, Jacinda really can't seem to make up her mind. When she's with one, she thinks of the other and starts to have some mixed feelings. While I get that the situation must be very confusing to her, and no doubt is causing plenty of emotional toil, she spends half the book not knowing how she feels about the situation. When she's with Cassian, it's Will she constantly thinks of. But when she's with Will, she thinks that she shouldn't be with him, she's gotta leave him (even if it's only to protect him) and guiltily thinks of Cassian. The emotional ping-pong game got rather tiresome after awhile--wish she would stop shying away from her feelings so she could figure things out and just pick one of them! (Granted, I'd feel terrible for the guy she didn't pick!) At the risk of sounding very corny, she should really follow her heart or she could risk spending her life life second-guessing herself.
Cassian turned out to be not a bad guy and was definitely a stronger character in Vanish. After seeing how he and Jacinda interacted, a part of me was rooting for him. It was hard not to, since he really helped her out of a few tight spots, and genuinely seemed to care about her and not just her ability to breathe fire.
(End spoiler)

All in all, I had fun reading Vanish and can't wait for the third installment of Sophie Jordan's series!

Overall: 4.5 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 4.75 stars
Cover: 4.75 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-18T09:19:00.001-05:00

Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

(St. Martin's Griffin/September 4, 2012)

Lenah Beaudonte should be dead. But having sacrificed herself to save another, she finds herself awakening with strange powers that are neither vampire nor human - and a new enemy on her trail. In her vampire life, Lenah had thought that being human was all she ever wanted; but the human heart suffers pain, heartbreak and loss. With her new powers growing and the dark force of the Nex after her soul, Lenah faces a choice: between the mortal love of gorgeous Justin, whose passion fed her human soul, and taking a different path to become the mistress of her own destiny, wherever that may lead.

I read the first book in the series, Infinite Days, a while ago but definitely enjoyed it! Glad the next book in the series will be hitting bookstores this year (though it's a while away)! I wonder what "stranger powers" have been awoken inside her? The last bit doesn't sound that much fun though; hosing between love and a different future is not a choice I would want to have to make!

And on a random note; I wonder if this cover will be shiny too?? :)

(Read my review of of the first book, Infinite Days, here: http://the-book-vault.blogspot.com/2010/09/infinite-days-by-rebecca-maizel.html)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

2012-01-16T10:53:00.000-05:00

First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

Release Date: November 1, 2011
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 150

A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world.
"We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings.
"I know what I am."
Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world -- or, at least, an idea of the world.
Then he meets Hooper. Who says he's from another planet. And may be going home very soon.

This book was very different from what I expected; when I first read the plot I thought it was going to be a considerably thicker novel (First Day on Earth is just 150 pages) that focused not only on Mal's journey towards self-discovery, but also on theories about extraterrestrial life and specifically Mal's interactions with them. However, the novel focuses mainly on Mal's self-discovery.

Mal is what most people would consider a loner; he doesn't have many friends and is 'the quiet kid in the corner' at school. Ever since his Dad left him, his Mom's been a wreck and a drunk, leaving Mal to take care of himself and her. Years ago, he went missing for three days and the police found him in the middle of the desert. Everyone thinks he had a seizure or some sort of medical issue that caused him to wander into the desert, but Mal thinks he was abducted by aliens.

Mal finds solace in helping small animals he finds (often taking them to the nearby shelter for help) and goes to a support group for abductees. There, he meets Hooper, whom he gets to know better. Hooper tells Mal he isn't from around here--he's actually from another planet. It seems to make sense, afterall, Hooper does have some weird habits and did seem kind of odd ever since Mal met him.

Not your typical YA novel, but I rather liked it. It's different and the style works nicely as well. It's short, to the point with nothing drawn-out. Explores a teen's life as he wanders on the path towards self-discovery; a path that we all know is by no means a flat, carefree walk in the park! Sure, he's got some of that teen-angst going, but Mal genuinely does want to figure out who he is. Everyone's felt lost at some point, and with life-changing events, it can be easy to lose your sense of self-purpose and direction. I feel that the author does a good job conveying this feeling of loss and the desire to find oneself throughout the novel, despite how short it was. Characters were also reasonably well-developed for the brevity of this novel, and I must say, I really enjoyed Hooper's character. He was quite a hoot; nice comic relief for the more depressing moments Mal had!

Overall: 4 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 4.25 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
Cover: 3.75 stars (love the font)

Tempest Book Trailer

2012-01-15T22:07:00.002-05:00

Have you checked out the book trailer for Julie Cross's Tempest yet?

In My Mailbox

2012-01-15T09:57:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly
meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Here's what I got in my mailbox this week:

For Review:

Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan
Halflings by Heather Burch
Masque of the Read Death by Bethany Griffin
The Selection by Kiera Cass

I'm soooo excited for all the books I got this week!!! I've already started reading some of them so keep an eye out for my reviews soon!! Thank you to the publishers for sending me review copies!

Purchased:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
So many people have been raving about this book so I decided to pick up a new copy at B&N since the paperback version came out!

What fabulous books did you all get this week?
Leave a comment so I can check your IMM too!

Clarity by Kim Harrington

2012-01-13T10:14:00.000-05:00

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Point
Pages: 242

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case - but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother - who has supernatural gifts of his own - becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

I definitely enjoyed reading Clarity and it's a great debut for author Kim Harrington! Clare's a great character; she's a bright, funny girl with the occasional sarcastic quip! Clarity was fast-paced, fun read! I found the mystery part a bit predictable by the middle, but the novel was well-written and by no means dragged out, so it was still an enjoyable read!

What I really liked was how Clare and her entire family had 'gifts' so their interactions were quite amusing at times but it also allowed them to support each other since they understood what it was like to have abilities that, as Clare put it, caused tourists to flock to them but also caused the locals to scorn them. The focus of the novel, therefore, wasn't about Clare trying to find acceptance within her family; they already knew who she was, she just had to find herself in the outside world.

One small issue I had with the novel was Gabriel, one of Clare's love interests. He seemed like your typical stock mysterious, handsome guy. I think he was supposed to thicken the mystery a bit but he felt a little bit like a cookie-cutter character to me. His character does get a bit better during the last bit of the novel though. That said, it's only a minor thing I was a bit disappointed in--nothing to stop anyone from reading the novel of course!

Overall: 4 out of 5
Plot: 3.75 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Writing: 4.75 stars
Cover: 5 stars (love the light colors! beautiful!)

Follow Friday!

2012-01-13T01:08:00.004-05:00

Follow Friday is a weekly feature hosted by Parajunkee's View & Alison Can Read! It's a great opportunity to meet new bloggers and connect with fellow book lovers!!

Question of the Week: Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012.

I gotta say, I haven't been listening to mainstream (pop) music lately. Instead, I've been listening to classical music when I study, my sister's jazz music and a couple of less-known independent artists.

The most mainstream stuff I've been playing in the background lately is Panic At the Disco (I like their song "Ballad of Mona Lisa") and Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain." There's been a song or two from Far East Movement (strong beats = good dancing music...aka Dominique dancing around her room when she's really supposed to be cleaning it!) in the mix too!

One of my favorite songs from a lesser-known artist is "When We Say" by AJ Rafael. It's a bitter-sweet song that's very easy on the ears and the music video is shot by one of my favorite groups, Wong Fu Productions!

What bands/artists are you all listening to? Leave your suggestions for my playlists in the comments! :D

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-11T09:07:00.004-05:00

Halflings by Heather Burch
(Zonderkidz/January 17, 2012)

Split. After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret---and the wings that come with. A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys' powers, as well as her role in a scientist's dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

Okay, you caught me, another book that's just a few days away from release! But did you read the plot summary? Forbidden love? Bring it on! (Well, in book/story-format, preferably. Not sure I'd be able to handle it in real life!) I like the cover & color scheme; it works nicely with the picture and seems to match the mood of the novel (well, what I garner from the blurb at least).

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

2012-01-09T11:09:00.003-05:00

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 416

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

What I really like about this book is Clara's voice; she's got a sense of humor and a great personality that draws you into the story. The fire from Unearthly was only the beginning; now that her purpose from the vision she had as an angel-blood has passed--her purpose that she did not fulfill--Clara's future seems much less certain. It's an exciting, and nerve-wracking, journey for Clara and readers as she discovers more about her angel-blood status and tries to unravel the secrets around her.

It's Clara's voice and the story that hooked me into the book! The fantasy genre of YA has been overrun with vampires, werewolves and forbidden love for quite some time now, but angels and a story arc other than one of forbidden love is quite refreshing! Hallowed is definitely well-written and at a few points Clara even gently teases the more melodramatic characteristics of the Twilight series and books of similar nature that are now prevalent in YA fiction.

I felt that the actual plot itself wasn't very long. It probably could have been summed up with about half the pages used and readers would have still gotten the general gist of what goes on. However, while some may potentially deem Hallowed a "slow" book compared to it's predecessor, it's often the journey and not just the end results that count. Clara had a lot to learn and figure out about herself--and her purpose--if it had all be presented to her on a silver platter, she hardly would have learned anything! Clara's journey has only just begun, and as readers will see in Hallowed, there is still much for Clara to learn--about her abilities, her future and her past! As they say our experiences make us who we are, and if everything's done for us, we wouldn't have much left to experience!

That said, I did feel that a certain dream sequence did repeat itself several times without Clara (or readers) learning anything more. What made it sound so repetitive, I think, was that in the middle of the novel the dream/vision was presented with only minor variations on wording and sequence of events. The dream was (this), then Clara thought and felt (this). Not much else was learned from the sequence and Clara did not even brainstorm a new interpretation of the dream/vision. This was repeated a few times--adding little but a few extra pages to the novel. It was only at those points that I felt the novel could have picked up the pace a little bit.

Lastly, I have to admit that I didn't really feel it for Clara and Tuck until the very end. Although Clara said she loved him, I didn't get that feeling from her, during her interactions with him. It was as if that spark and that chemistry wasn't entirely there anymore. There were many points in the novel that I felt there was much stronger chemistry between Clara and Christian and Tuck just didn't seem as strong of a character. This last point could be the reason why Clara spent a great deal of the book seemingly bouncing back and forth between the two--she couldn't really make up her mind about her feelings for the longest time. I can't say much more for fear that I might spoil something, but it'll be interesting to see what other readers think about the leading men in this novel!

Hallowed was not as strong as I thought it would be, but even with the reservations I had, I had a good time reading it! The writing is great and Clara's voice and humor is a breath of fresh air! Fans of Unearthly will no doubt enjoy Hallowed, which is still a relatively creative and very enjoyable novel, especially in the fantasy genre that is now dominated by vampires and werewolves!

Overall: 4 out of 5
Plot: 3.50 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Cover: 5 stars (love the embossed, silver (shiny) lettering and the feather woven in!)

In My Mailbox

2012-01-08T17:16:00.006-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly
meme hosted by The Story Siren!

Here's what I got in my mailbox this week:

For Review:
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (sequel to Unearthly!)
Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin

Definitely excited to read & review these books! I believe The Girls of No Return is a debut book for author Erin Saldin!

What fabulous books did you all get this week?

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

2012-01-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

Immortal Beloved by Cate Tiernan

Release Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: Little, Brown
Pages: 416

After living for hundreds of years, would you begin to lose the ability to feel and to appreciate the little things? After all, what's one moment to you, than the merest blink of an eye? You'll have many more moments to come--an infinite amount of moments, in fact. So what would you do? Jet off to see the world? Donate some time to help worldly causes? Mindlessly drift from party to party, just trying to pass time and have fun?

The latter is what immortal Nastasya--Nasty to her friends--picks. Nasty indulges in fancy parties, excessive drinking, and her friends' carefree (and careless) attitudes. What's one more night spent with exciting company and good drink? It's not like she has to worry about her liver or a possible car accident afterwards--immortals are a pretty hardy bunch with plenty of time for their antics.

Boz, Incy, and a few other immortals from Nasty's close group of friends are living it large--expensive parties, trips to the other end of the world on a whim, and fast cars and designer clothes are the norm for them. Reckless behavior is second nature, since they hardly have to worry about the repercussions. Car crash? No problem; immortals will likely escape with just a few scrapes and bruises.
Incy and Nasty have floated from party to party together for years, leading to a close friendship between the two. Incy parties hard because he doesn't have anything better to do with his time, but Nasty parties to forget her past--and this party lifestyle definitely suits her needs. That is, until one night Incy goes too far and uses his magick to snap a man's back.

Shaken that her close friend could use his magick for bad and could just harm an innocent man without any remorse, Nasty flees her group of friends. And for the first time in decades, Nasty has feelings of guilt and cowardice. but after centuries of stamping out true emotions and feelings, Nasty does not know who to turn to, except for a woman named River whom she had only met once--and decades ago at that. Traveling from London to Massachusetts to find River and her place if she's still there, Nasty pins her last hope of possibly having something different than a life filled with nothing but debauchery on someone and some place she did not truly know, let alone understand. But Nasty may get more than what she's bargained for when she reaches River's End. The lifestyle of those there are very different from the one Nasty's gotten used to over the past few decades--and there's someone there who may have something to do with the past Nasty's buried deep for years.

Nasty definitely grew and matured a bit during the progression of the novel. Although she maintains some of the childishness and immaturity she displayed rather prominently during the beginning of the novel. She's also got a vulnerable side that surfaces as sarcasm and attitude, which puts her at odds with some of the others at River's End.
I would have thought that having lived over 400 years, and having seen what Nasty had, would have given her some perspective and made her mature at least a bit more than she had. I mean, she really didn't have it easy at points in her life--death, pain, famine, and loss--but she still sounded like a teenager most of the time. While I agree that some of those events could be traumatizing enough to make her repress them, the general hardships she had to go through before her wild party days should have still made her more mature than she sounded in Immortal Beloved.

The beginning of the book was okay. It was the second half that drew me in more and it was with greater reluctance that I set the book down when I had to as I got further along. The beginning had almost a Gossip Girl-esque feeling to it; parties! Rumors! Glamor! Flamboyant friends! But then things mellowed out and Nasty began her journey towards self-discovery.

I guess you could also say that certain times during Nasty's time at River's End (almost like a rehab for immortals) were slow as well. Things did not progress very quickly (I'm sure Nasty felt that way too!) but this could have also been to showcase Nasty's own journey at River's End. Her chores were described maybe once too often (there are only so many ways you can write about washing kale) but the flashbacks and other events kept it interesting enough that I wanted to keep going.

All in all, I enjoyed reading Immortal Beloved. However, I also felt that this novel was holding back, especially during the last third or so, to set up for a sequel. Although that part was not quite that enjoyable, I am looking forward to continuing Nasty's journey in the sequel, Darkness Falls which hits bookstores this month! I would like to add that I do hope that Nasty will grow and mature even more in book two as the immature voice that told the first part of this story was not exactly my cup of tea.

Overall: 3.75 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 3.75 stars
Cover: 3 stars

Waiting on Wednesday

2012-01-04T09:14:00.002-05:00

Tempest by Julie Cross
(St. Martin's Griffin/January 17, 2012)

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Yeah, yeah, I know, this comes out this month! But that doesn't mean I can't impatiently pine for it anyway, right? haha Sounds like an adventure with some romance and action--a favorite combination of mine! Hopefully not too heart-breaking though; I've read quite a few books that have been tugged on my heart strings lately!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine

Book Trailer, Twitter party and a tour, oh my!

2012-01-03T20:16:00.007-05:00

Marissa Meyer's Cinder hit bookstores today!

To celebrate, she'll be hosting a Twitter/Facebook party on January 9th @ 7pm EST @marissa_meyer and she'll also be participating in a blog tour (find the dates/blogs here!)

Cinder: Book One in The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer

Even in the future, the story begins with Once Upon a Time…. Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl. . . . Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

Don't forget to check out the book trailer!

Congrats to Marissa for Cinder's release! I look forward to reading it!

Trailer Tuesday (10)

2012-01-03T17:30:00.000-05:00

It's Tuesday! And this isn't strictly a book trailer, but I saw this a couple of days ago & figured I'd share it!

Hunger Games fever has really taken off and with just a few short months till it hits cinemas, a fan did a Lego remake of the trailer!

Enjoy!

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

2012-01-03T10:15:00.000-05:00

Grave Dance by Kalayna Price

Release Date: July 5, 2011
Publisher: Roc
Pages: 400

Whoever said dead men tell no tales obviously never met Alex Craft.

After a month spent recovering from a vicious fight with a sorcerer, grave witch Alex Craft is ready to get back to solving murders by raising the dead. With her love life in turmoil thanks to the disappearance of Fae Investigation Bureau agent Falin Andrews and a shocking “L” word confession from Death himself, Alex is eager for the distractions of work. But her new case turns out to be a deadly challenge.

The police hire Alex to consult on a particularly strange investigation in the nature preserve south of Nekros City. The strange part: There are no corpses, only fragments of them. A serial killer is potentially on the loose, and Alex has no way to raise a shade without a body, so she’ll have to rely on the magic of others to find leads. But as she begins investigating, a creature born of the darkest magic comes after her. Someone very powerful wants to make sure the only thing she finds is a dead end—her own.

Okay, so before I say anything, I'll admit that only recently have I begun to delve into these specifically sci-fi and fantasy genres. This was sent along by publicists who have sent me plenty of YA books that I've enjoyed so I decided to give this a try. Well despite the fact that this is undoubtedly a sequel, I actually quite enjoyed it. Granted, my enjoyment and overall understanding of the plot could have been improved by a ten-fold if I had actually read the first book. Nonetheless, this was an enjoyable read; Price has built up a complex world of human mortals, fae, and those in-between--and most importantly, how they all interact. I found most of it interesting and not overwhelming, most likely due to the fact that the story was captivating and thankfully not derailed by excessive detail of this alternate universe.

Alex is not your average girl, being able to raise the dead as shades and all, but her deeds from her past adventure about to catch up to her--and they just might reveal more about Alex herself than she is ready for. But she must forge ahead on the new murder case at hand, even as she has to tie up some loose ends, if she wishes to protect her friends--and herself--from danger. Of course having two handsome men, Death and a fae, Falin, coming onto her (possibly for more reasons than just physical attraction) just complicates things.

I liked the interactions between Alex and Death and Alex and Falin and the intricate story Price weaves was enough to keep me interested, even though I had not read the first novel. With that said, I would be very much interested in reading Grave Witch (the first Alex Craft novel) and the next book in the series whenever it comes out!

I'm backkkkk!

2012-01-03T01:28:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone!

I'm back! I'm sure you've been able to tell since I've already had a few posts these past few weeks! Sorry for my lengthy hiatus; school, work, and trying to figure out my future overwhelmed me for a while. Things are getting back on track, however, and I'm very happy that I've been able to read more and review some lately! So stay tuned for more reviews, interviews, weekly memes and the like!

I've rung in 2012 with a new layout for The Book Vault! It's simple but pretty easy to navigate! I've also cleaned up my blog roll as it seems that unfortunately, a lot of people have had to close their sites or just stop blogging because they've been too busy. So if you've opened a new blog or you're stopping by for the first time, leave a comment or drop me a line--I'd love to check out more YA book blogs and/or do a link exchange!

I'm glad to be back, but unfortunately I don't think updates will be quite as frequent as before. I'm about to take more upper-level courses as well as work on grad school or med school plans, but I'll try to update as much as possible! Thanks for understanding!

Hopefully I'll be able to run a giveaway or something of some sort to celebrate being back, but I'll have to raising some shipping & handling funds first. (Tuition & textbook bills can be quite excellent at killing one's poor bank account!)

Let me know what you're reading or send me some book recommendations! Connect with me via FACEBOOK, TWITTER or GOODREADS! (or heck, all 3!)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

2012-01-01T03:10:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year, everyone! Here's to a bright new year full of success, happiness and plenty of good books!

2011 was a rough year for me and passed with little activity for me and The Book Vault but I'm hoping to change that this year! More books, more interviews, more posts and more reviews!

Waiting on Wednesday

2011-12-28T09:23:00.000-05:00

The Selection by Kiera Cass
(HarperTeen/April 24, 2012)

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself- and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Sounds a bit dystopian and since I'm a huge fan of dystopian books & movies, how can I resist something that sounds this good?! Nice cover too!!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

2011-12-26T14:03:00.001-05:00

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

Release Date: January 3, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 320

Joy is suffocating--yes, both literally and figuratively. Her every move has been watched over by her well-meaning but overbearing parents thanks to her two run-ins with death. Whether it's her parents or her asthma, Joy can't catch a breath and is being smothered. That doesn't bode well for a teenager who's trying to figure out who she is.

Then there's Asher. Her boyfriend who's both the most controlling but comforting thing she has. On the outside, it seems that Joy has it good; a wealthy, good-looking boyfriend, caring parents, a family and a school to attend. But no one sees how badly Joy is suffocating and Joy can't seem to pry herself away from it all--especially Asher--until one night when things spiral out of control.

Fleeing home after a quick bleach and cut job with only a bag full of Cliff bars and an extra inhaler, Joy tries to fend for herself on the streets of Seattle. It's not easy--no surprises there. There are more than a few unscrupulous people who are lurking, waiting for a chance to strike the new girl and one of them very nearly succeeds until a boy named Creed defends her. Taking her in to live with him and his crew, Joy begins a new life among the homeless. They teach her how to survive, how to get food and how to avoid getting caught. Yet despite the squalor she lives in and the trash she has to pick through to find food, Joy feels like she can breathe for once in her life. Joy has learned more than how to survive from Creed and his bunch--she's begun to learn about loyalty and family. Finally free from the immediate crushing presence of her former life, she's begun to take the first steps towards self-discovery.

But what happens when her journey's threatened to be cut short? The inevitable search for her by Joy's parents were only a matter of time, but what will Joy do with her new-found knowledge of her self and the world around her?

Wow. First book to catch my eye in my intimidating pile of books to review and what a way to re-enter the world of YA blogging! Don't Breathe a Word was haunting, mesmerizing and held me captive from the first page to the last. I literally did not put this book down until I was done! I was pulled into Joy's story from the start; her stifling home environment, her terrifyingly dangerous but somehow still soothing boyfriend, and her journey towards self-discovery on the streets with Creed and the others who take her in are all masterfully presented by Ms. Cupala in this novel!

I especially loved the way Joy's story was told; fragments of her past are presented between what is happening presently. Joy's character was believable and Cupala manages to capture the fear, overwhelming need for escape, and eventual hope Joy feels to heart-wrenching effect. Creed and supporting characters were also well-developed with their own fears and passions, making the story that much stronger and captivating.

One point that I noticed (and liked) was that Asher was a verbally and mentally abusive (and controlling) boyfriend. Don't get me wrong; I don't like the fact that he was an abusive boyfriend, I'm just glad that Ms. Cupala decided to make him a verbally abusive boyfriend instead of a physically abusive one. An abusive relationship does not have to be just physical to be abusive--verbal abuse can be equally crushing, if not greater, as demonstrated in this novel. It was frightening to see how damaging a verbally abusive and controlling significant other could be to a person's self-worth and self-image. Joy had her self-esteem and her individualistic qualities stripped away from her until she did not know who she was anymore.

Told in a raw and gritty way, Ms. Cupala does not shy away from more touchy subjects including homelessness and abusive relationships in her newest novel. A gripping and wonderfully written novel, I'd recommend this novel to readers (though not those who might be faint of heart) when it hits bookstores next month!

Overall: 5 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Cover: 3.75 stars (love the font)

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-26T01:59:00.003-05:00

Wishing everyone a wonderful holiday season filled with good cheer, family & friends, festivities and a break from work!

Have a safe and restful holiday season!

Where have I been?

2011-03-16T00:18:00.002-04:00

Hello everyone,

I'd like to offer my sincerest apologies for my complete lack of updates for the past few months. My life took many changes in the past few weeks, both with my academics as well as my personal life. To put it simply, there has been a lot going on and I have had quite a bit of trouble at times trying to deal with all of it. At the risk of sounding whiny, I have been under a lot of stress lately. I had a few bouts of bad news and that coupled with my academic worries have taken over my life as of late.

I apologize for not being active with book tours, reviews, interviews, giveaways and responding to your comments. I hope all of you have been keeping up with the amazing books that have been published lately!

For anyone who has emailed me recently, I am very sorry if I did not get back to you; I've been having the hardest time keeping up with all the messages and I know I've missed some. I think for the time being it would be a good idea if I did not participate in any book blog tours. I do not like putting anything less than my best efforts forward and I do not wish to give any review, interview or participation in a tour any less than 100% effort; with all the amazing authors and books out there, you all deserve better than that! I thank everyone who has asked me to participate in a book tour lately, but unfortunately, I will have to decline for now. I'll be sure to start up again in full when I get everything sorted out!

To everyone who has sent me books to review; I thank you and during this brief break I've had, I've been reading and reading. I really hope to get some reviews up soon!

Best wishes to you all & happy reading!

Happy Holidays!

2010-12-25T13:05:00.004-05:00

Hello everyone!

First off, my apologies for the lack of updates; it's been a very tough semester for me. Many unexpected things came up and I had a hard time dealing with everything on top of my school work so I was unfortunately not able to dedicate much time to my blog. While not everything has been cleared up yet, it is finally winter break so hopefully I will have some time to post reviews before everything starts up again!

Thank you for everyone's support and thank you to everyone who stopped by, left a comment and thank you to all those who emailed me. I appreciate your time and good wishes!! They were all very touching and really put a smile on my face!

I hope everyone has been well and I'd like to wish you all a wonderful, happy and restful holiday season!
And to those who celebrate it, Merry Christmas!!

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

2010-11-03T06:05:00.004-04:00

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers
(St. Martin's Griffin/December 21, 2010)

When Eddie Reeves’s father commits suicide her life is consumed by the nagging question of why? Why when he was a legendary photographer and a brilliant teacher? Why when he had a daughter who loved him more than anyone else in the world? When she meets Culler Evans, a former student of her father’s and a photographer himself, an instant and dangerous attraction begins. He seems to know more about her father than she does and could possibly hold the key to the mystery surrounding his death. But Eddie’s vulnerability has weakened her and Culler Evans is getting too close. Her need for the truth keeps her hanging on… but some questions should be left unanswered.

Courtney Summers writes about so many tough subjects! Hopefully this will be as good as her other novels!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday (14)

2010-10-27T07:57:00.003-04:00

XVI by Julia Karr
(Penguin/January 6, 2011)

In the year 2150, being a girl isn’t necessarily a good thing, especially when your sixteenth (read sex-teenth) birthday is fast approaching. That in itself would be enough to make anyone more than a little nuts, what with the tattoo and all – but Nina Oberon’s life has taken a definite turn for the worse. Her mother is brutally stabbed and left for dead. Before dying, she entrusts a secret book to Nina, telling her to deliver it to Nina's father. But, first Nina has to find him; since for fifteen years he's been officially dead. Complications arise when she rescues Sal, a mysterious, and ultra hot guy. He seems to like Nina, but also seems to know more about her father than he’s letting on. Then there’s that murderous ex-government agent who’s stalking her, and just happens to be her little sister’s dad.

Ooo! Another future + dystopian novel! There are a lot of those coming out next year which is nice, since I'm a fan of dystopian novels & movies! I never realized how much I enjoyed dystopian works until my friend and I started discussing some of the movies we had seen (Equilibrium, Children of Men, etc) a while ago, but dystopian works always leave you with a lot to think about!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

2010-10-20T07:42:00.004-04:00

Across the Universe by Beth Revis
(Razorbill/January 11, 2011)

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Cool! A sci-fi mystery with a hint of romance! Sounds amazing and look at that cover! Isn't it just gorgeous? Looks like a movie poster almost! I followed Beth's blog and was really excited when she got the book deal & when this cover came out--can't wait to read Across the Universe!!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

2010-10-13T07:12:00.001-04:00

Entangled by Cat Clarke
(Quercus Publishing Plc/January 6th, 2011)

The same questions whirl round and round in my head:
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
AM I GOING TO DIE?

17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got here.

As Grace's pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see?

Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here?

A story of dark secrets, intense friendship and electrifying attraction.

Sounds very mysteriousness! So many great-sounding books coming out next year though!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

I'm still alive!

2010-10-10T16:01:00.002-04:00

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for the sparse updates lately; I've had an insane amount of work since the school year started. There are more tests, quizzes, problem sets, labs and work than you can shake a stick at!

I just wanted to say that I have emailed all the winners of the contests I've held recently, and that updates will be less frequent until I can get all this work done. I'll try to keep up with the memes at the very least and hopefully get a few reviews in.

Thank you to all my lovely followers & to all the amazing people who have commented on my posts! I've been reading your blogs as much as I can and even though I don't always get a chance to comment, I've been visiting as much as I can with all this work!

Thanks again & I hope you all have a good weekend! Happy reading!!

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

2010-10-06T07:15:00.002-04:00

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
(HarperTeen/January 4, 2011)

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Hmm, another angel book. There have been a lot more of them lately after Hush, Hush, Crescendo & Halo. But this one sounds good too! Are angels & fallen angels the new vampires?

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Trailer Tuesday (9)

2010-10-05T10:05:00.002-04:00

Here's the trailer for the next book in the "Dead is" series: Dead is Just a Rumor by Marlene Perez!

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

2010-09-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
(NAL Trade/March 1, 2011)

In her dreams he’s irresistible—seductive, charming, and undoubtedly dangerous. But when he appears to her when she’s awake—and captivates her just the same—she’s not sure which way is up and which is down.

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life, not allowed the same freedoms as the rest of the teenagers in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, she feels every urge she’s ever denied burning through her at the slightest glance from Haden Black. Theia knows she’s seen Haden before—not around town, but in her dreams.

Theia doesn’t understand how she dreamed of Haden before they ever met, but every night has them joined in a haunting world of eerie fantasy. And as the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her forward one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear. And as she slowly discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Forbidden love? Does the hunter fall in love with his prey? We'll have to wait to find out!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Trailer Tuesday (8)

2010-09-28T10:01:00.002-04:00

Happy Tuesday! Here's the book trailer for another recent release, Delacroix Academy:The Candidates by Inara Scott!

So many fantastic books have recently hit bookstores/are about to hit bookstores! Just wish I had time to read them all! Wish school wasn't so busy!

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

2010-09-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

Wither by Lauren DeStefano
(Simon & Schuster/March 22, 2011)

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Another dysptopian novel, I think. Sounds good though & reminds me faintly of Children of Men (don't want the population to die out) but I definitely want to get my hands on a copy of this novel when it comes out!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Trailer Tuesday (7)

2010-09-21T09:58:00.002-04:00

It's Tuesday! So I get to share another book trailer with all of you!
Here's the book trailer for You by Charles Benoit! I really want to read this book! Anyone read it yet? Thoughts??

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

2010-09-16T08:46:00.003-04:00

The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green

Release Date: September 14th 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Pages: 320

After Erin's favorite aunt, Aunt Kiki (nicknamed Aunt Kooky by Erin's father), dies, Erin inherits a Pink Crystal ball with a set of cryptic instructions from her aunt. Thinking it is just some toy or joke from her crazy aunt, Erin doesn't think much of it...until one of her wishes comes true. The pink crystal ball her aunt left her looks like any other pink crystal ball toy sold at local stores, but Erin asks the ball one of her wishes one night, only to have it come true the next day! Her two best friends are instantly convinced that the crystal ball has magical properties.

Erin is slower to believe, but after another wish comes true, she decides to figure out her aunt's mysterious instructions. With the clues and the Pink Crystal Ball figured out, Erin and her friends may just have the key to their futures! The possibilities are endless--or are they? Erin better figure out her aunt's instructions or their adventure with the crystal ball might just go awry!

At the beginning, The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball felt like a tween book. But as the novel progressed, some parts became more YA geared, while other parts remained more tween-like. The lessons Erin learns are like the ones you would find in other YA books but the bullying that Erin's friend, Lindsay, faces (and how her friend deals with it) seems very much for tweens. It was nice to see Erin grow and learn from her mistakes and the situation as a whole.I was hoping Lindsay would stand up for herself more; at her age it was unusual to see how she reacted and went off to cry instead of defending herself. I'm not saying that there's no bullying in High School--there is--but by 10th grade, girls have much meaner and less childish ways to bully other girls.

Overall, The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball is a cute novel, but I think it's better for younger YA readers, or readers who are starting to make the transition from tween to teen/YA books.

Overall: 3.75 out of 5
Plot: 3.5 stars
Characters: 3.5 stars
Writing: 3.5 stars
Cover: 4 stars (It's a cute cover!)

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

2010-09-15T13:24:00.000-04:00

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
(Greenwillow Books/February 22, 2011)

Eden didn’t expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connect ...more

Eden didn’t expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own.

And that’s only the beginning of the end.

Hmm, another book that deals with fallen angels & heaven/hell. Sounds really good though, doesn't it? The cover's font & title design reminds me a bit of the Soul Screamer series covers title font/design too.

Trailer Tuesday (6)

2010-09-14T08:32:00.002-04:00

Here's the trailer for Infinite Days, which I reviewed a few days ago! I loved Infinite Days & would definitely recommend you check it out if you get the chance!

Looking for Fame: Lady Gaga by Paul Lester

2010-09-13T07:15:00.002-04:00

Looking for Fame: The Life of a Pop Princess: Lady Gaga by Paul Lester

Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Omnibus Press
Pages: 192

I know this different than the books I normally review, but I am a fan of Lady Gaga so when I was offered this for review, I decided to try it.

Lady Gaga's style might be outrageous, but her music is catchy! And somehow, she's made her intense style work. But she wasn't always Lady Gaga--she first started as Stefani Germanotta.

This electrifying biography explores Stefani Germanotta's rapid rise to global stardom in the guise of the outrageous Lady Gaga. Hers has been a triumph achieved with the help of wild image-making, infectious pop hits and a teasing strand of ambiguous sexuality that has turned her into a gay icon. At heart it's the story of a unique self-made phenomenon - a Madonna for today. As an adoring fan of Freddie Mercury and David Bowie, Lady Gaga took the essence of 80s glam an reinvented it for the digital age. Commercially successful and critically accepted she shot from obscurity on Manhattan's club scene to worldwide fame in just a couple of years. This is the in-depth examination of her high-speed rise in the fame game, reported with a mix of admiration and sharp journalistic insight.

It was interesting to learn more about how Stefani became Lady Gaga. No story about one's ascension to fame has been without struggle and sacrifice, and Stefani's was no exception. Many have criticized Lady Gaga and her insane outfits, but no one can say that Lady Gaga hasn't become a huge pop icon today!

I thought this biography was pretty good; it wasn't too long, there are some color photos detailing Lady Gaga and some of her outfits. Looking for Fame seems to focus more on how Stefani actually became famous (ie getting discovered, people she met, recording sessions, etc) instead of focusing on what factors helped her shape her image of Lady Gaga. You'll definitely learn more about Lady Gaga reading this biography, but of course not every question you have will be answered! But that's one of the things that makes Lady Gaga so interesting, isn't it? She may make statements with her music, costumes and music videos, but there's still some room for your own interpretation too!

A general update

2010-09-12T12:50:00.003-04:00

I know I didn't do In My Mailbox last week and I have to skip it again this week; I've been away for the past 2 weekends on business, so it's been rather crazy lately. I think everything should be cleared up by next weekend, so I'll have a HUGE In My Mailbox post!

But other than that, thanks to all the lovely people who have commented this week & I hope you all got something good in your mailboxes!!

P.S. My giveaway for Dust is still open if you're interested! 3 copies of Dust are up for grabs--please enter by 9/15!

Winners Update

2010-09-09T16:29:00.003-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my 200+ Followers & Birthday Contest! And a HUGE thank you to everyone who filled out the survey! It was great getting feedback & suggestions!

Since there were so many survey submissions, I picked 3 winners from that pool. They have been emailed and I am currently waiting for their picks for prizes before the rest of the winners are chosen by random.

Thanks again & I'll post the rest of the winners soon!

P.S. Thanks also to all the lovely people who visited my blog on the last Book Blogger Hop--I will do my best to visit all of your blogs this weekend! School started up again and the work is already piling up! ahhh!

Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson

2010-09-09T07:59:00.001-04:00

Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson

Release Date: August 1, 2010
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Pages: 304

What better place than pale England to hide a secret society of gentlemen vampires?

In this hilarious retelling of Jane Austen's Emma, screenwriter Wayne Josephson casts Mr. Knightley as one of the most handsome and noble of the gentlemen village vampires. Blithely unaware of their presence, Emma, who imagines she has a special gift for matchmaking, attempts to arrange the affairs of her social circle with delightfully disastrous results. But when her dear friend Harriet Smith declares her love for Mr. Knightley, Emma realizes she's the one who wants to stay up all night with him. Fortunately, Mr. Knightley has been hiding a secret deep within his unbeating heart-his (literal) undying love for her... A brilliant mash-up of Jane Austen and the undead.

Emma and the Vampires was my first mash-up novel. I hadn't really heard of very many of them until I was offered Emma and the Vampires for review. It was interesting, I think? I am not very sure about how I should feel about this book since it is the first of its genre I've read.
Emma and the Vampires basically seemed quite like the classic, except the men were vampires. I had thought it would be more of a new take on Jane Austen's classic (i.e. an interpretation of Emma but now with the supernatural element) but it seemed more like the original with a few vampires inserted. Or the author could have parodied Emma with the added supernatural element? I'm not really sure, but this book didn't feel entirely satisfying. It's a good idea, but I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been a bit more original--an interpretation, rather than a retelling with two species swapped.

Summary courtesy of GoodReads

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

2010-09-08T10:03:00.000-04:00

Entwined by Heather Dixon
(Greenwillow Books/March 29, 2011)

Azalea and her younger sisters dance in the mysterious silver forest every night, escaping from the sadness of the palace and their father’s grief. What they don’t understand—although as time passes they begin to get an inkling of the danger they are in—is that the mysterious and dashing Keeper is tightening his snare with deadly purpose. Luckily, Azalea is brave and steadfast. Luckily, a handsome young army captain also has his eye on Azalea. . . .

The first part almost sounds like the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairytale! Sounds really good in general and there's a touch of romance, which I am definitely a sucker for!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Trailer Tuesday (5)

2010-09-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

Crescendo will hit bookstores soon so here's a blast from the past: Hush, Hush's book trailer! Will there be a book trailer for Crescendo too?

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

2010-09-04T08:05:00.004-04:00

Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: St Martin's Griffin
Pages: 320

"I release you...
I release you, Lenah Beaudonte.
Believe...and be free."

For the first time in 592 years, Lenah could breathe, feel, and be human again. After centuries of being a vampire, Lenah had almost completely lost her humanity--she was constantly lusting for blood to ease the constant pain and inability to truly feel. But when her first love, Rhode, sacrifices himself so Lenah can be human again after her 100 year hibernation, Lenah must adjust to the 21st century and adjust to the fact that the coven she created to protect her is her enemy now. They have no idea that she is human again and with her betrayal, they will track her down for revenge.

For the time being, Lenah doesn't have to worry; it would seem that Rhode did a good job hiding her. She is tucked away at a boarding school, Wickham, and quickly befriends a fellow student, Tony. Weeks go by without incident and not a word from her coven.

As school starts, Lenah draws attention from plenty of the students with some of the glamor she still retains from her existence as a vampire, but one boy in particular catches her attention: Justin. Handsome and daring, Justin is the first human Lenah falls for, but Justin already has a girlfriend. But girlfriend or no, there is an undeniable attraction between Justin and Lenah. And soon one thing becomes clear to Lenah--she may be struggling to break the bonds of her vampire past, but there is only one thing she really wants: Justin.

Weeks pass and even as Lenah grows closer to Justin, she knows that time is running out before her past catches up to her. The question is, what will happen when it does?

Infinite Days was amazing!! I liked how Rebecca Maizel integrated stories of Lenah's past with the main plot! I enjoyed learning more about Lenah's vampire years through those short stories as well as watching how she tried to adjust to how society had changed during her 100 year slumber. Lenah definitely went through an interesting transformation! She was a powerful vampire that killed on a whim before she was changed back into human form. Once she was back in human form, she seemed so much more innocent since she was quite clueless to a lot of the cultural changes that had taken place! I'm glad Rebecca contrasted Lenah's new and old life throughout the book; made it very interesting in my opinion.

Infinite Days is a very enjoyable read that puts a bit of a different spin on vampires. I was afraid I was starting to burn out a bit with all these vampire novels that had been coming out lately, but the different perspectives on vampires in Infinite Days makes this novel stick out among all the others that feature fanged creatures! It's well written, interesting, and it hooked me in from page one! I am eagerly anticipating Rebecca's next novel!

Overall: 5 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Cover: 4.5 stars (the simple cover works nicely...and did I mention it's shiny?!)

Book Blogger Hop! (3)

2010-09-03T14:47:00.004-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone!! Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books! There are tons of other bloggers who participate, so check it out!

The question for this Friday:

Do you judge a book by its cover?

I can't say that I don't ever judge a book by its cover, but likewise, I don't always judge a book by its cover. While I can appreciate a good cover (and I do believe that a good cover can really help sell a book since many people are drawn to aesthetically pleasing, eye-catching and/or artistic covers) sometimes I'm not a fan of the covers for certain books I really enjoyed.

Sometimes simplicity with a subtle detail can go a long way, and a cover does not have to be flashy for it to be fantastic! (For instance, Matched by Ally Condie and Firelight by Sophie Jordan--simple, yet stunning!) In fact, when there's too much going on in a cover, it's not always a good thing--it's a fine line between an artistic sort of chaos and just and out right wreck!

Of course there are other covers that aren't so simple, but are still absolutely gorgeous! I love love love the covers for Halo by Alexandra Adornetto and Across the Universe by Beth Revis, they look amazing! Covers that make you wonder (i.e. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick) are also favorites of mine.

All in all, I do sometimes judge a book by its cover, but not to the extent that I won't at least read the blurb if it's a book that seems to be about something I'm interested in. In my book, great covers that fit the book well get extra brownie points!

---------------------------------

On my blog this week:

Giveaways:

Enter for a chance to win one of three copies of the new zombie novel, Dust!

Reviews:

Matched by Ally Condie

Crusade by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

-------------------------

I apologize if you commented & I did not get a chance to visit your blog last week--things suddenly got very busy and I was sadly interrupted before I got to visit all the blogs I wanted to. I'm already laden with homework, but I'll do my best to visit more blogs on the Hop this week!
Have a good weekend!

Matched by Ally Condie

2010-09-02T07:57:00.000-04:00

Matched by Alie Condie

Release Date: November 30, 2010
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Pages: 384

In the Society everything is decided. Officials Match you to your ideal mate, pick your vocation, choose where you live and select when you die. Cassia has never known it any other way and when she's Matched with her childhood friend at her Match banquet, Xander, she couldn't be happier. The two families are happy at this stroke of luck--most people are Matched to people they do not know from far away provinces. Cassia knows her future will be secure, and giving up the freedom to make choices seems a small price to pay for a long life, the perfect mate, and a safe life.

But Cassia's view of the Society is about to be shaken when her grandfather gives her his artifact, an old compact, which has a secret compartment that holds a dangerous secret. Before his death, Cassia grandfather shows her the compartment and the paper which contains a poem. The poem is both special and dangerous; it is a poem Cassia's grandmother copied and hid away when she helped select the Hundred Poems that the society would keep. It was kept at great risk, and now Cassia owns it--but what will she do? What her Society would want her to do; report it or destroy it? Or what she has the sudden temptation to do; read it and let the poem take her where it will?

Cassia's faith is further shaken after her Match banquet. She accesses the card that contains information about her Match, Xander, but instead of Xander's face flashing on the screen, another face appears--Ky. Ky is another one of Cassia's classmates, but who could have made this mistake? Officials soon find Cassia and correct the card; her match is Xander, but it leaves doubts in Cassia's mind. Why was did Ky's face appear? Who is her real match supposed to be?

With the poem and Ky in mind, Cassia must make a choice--who should she follow? Society and all the rules that have been set for her? Or her own mind and heart, which urges her to question Society and all its rigid rules?

What I enjoyed most about Matched is the world Ally Condie has created. I definitely got the feel of how stifling and controlling the Society was! Ally creates a believable but gloomy future in Matched that really helps set the mood for the story. The control exerted over everyone and their choices reminded me of The Giver by Lois Lowry (another excellent dystopian novel, one of my favorites, I'd have to say).

Cassia's struggle, between passion and what Society wants, is believable and well written as well. However, as hard as I tried and as much as I wanted, I could not really connect to Ky and Cassia's romance. The chemistry and attraction between them was not as well spun as the rest of the story and I had a hard time truly accepting it.

Matched has received a lot of hype and I would have to say it has one of the best built worlds compared to all the other dystopian and post-apocalyptic novels out there right now. Despite this, I feel that Matched fell short of my expectations on several counts. As I mentioned above, the budding romance between Ky and Cassia was really hard to connect to (and this story depends heavily on said romance) and in addition to that, the story seemed to drag at points. It seemed as if Ky and Cassia weren't doing much; they were not really trying to change things. Granted, Society is a highly monitored and controlled environment, but I had hoped they would take more steps towards breaking free of the chains Society has put on them. I am sure that more of this will take place in the next novel in Ms. Condie's series, since the pace sped up considerably near the end of Matched and it was definitely building up to something. I enjoyed reading Matched and am definitely looking forward to the next novel!

Overall: 4 out of 5
Plot: 3.75 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 4.25 stars
Cover: 5 stars

Unraveled scavenger hunt!

2010-09-01T19:43:00.002-04:00

Gena Showalter’s YA series, Intertwined, about sixteen-year-old Aden Stone, a paranormal magnet who has, well had, four souls trapped in his head, continues this fall with the release of UNRAVELED (Harlequin, September 2010). Now, Aden is down to three souls bossing him around, but along the way he’s picked up the title of Vampire King to add to his ever-growing list of worries (which includes a prophecy that says he’ll bite the dust after a knife through the heart). To celebrate UNRAVELED’s release, Gena and her YA buds are hosting a scavenger hunt on their blogs.

The all-star lineup of hunt participants includes authors Rachel Caine, PC Cast, Marley Gibson, Rosemary Clement-Moore and Tina Ferraro, as well as Gena, natch, and The Knight Agency blog.

Three grand prize winners will each win a $100 Visa gift card, plus Gena's giving away signed copies of UNRAVELED to five lucky runner-ups. All you have to do is find all eight letters, unscramble them and email the word to Contests(AT)KnightAgency.net.

To find out where the letters are hiding in the great internet universe, click here for a contest road map and rules.

This contest runs from Monday, August 30^th to Thursday, September 2^nd. All entries must be received by Monday, September 6^th at midnight ET.

Trailer for Halo by Alexandra Adornetto!

2010-09-01T18:14:00.003-04:00

Reposting the book trailer for Halo by Alexandra Adornetto to celebrate it's release! Halo hit bookstores yesterday--be sure to get your copy of this amazing book today!

& Check out my interview with Alexandra here!

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

2010-09-01T11:21:00.001-04:00

Clarity by Kim Harrington
(Point/February 8, 2011)

Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch an object and the visions come to her. It's a gift.

And a curse.

When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case — but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother — who has supernatural gifts of his own — becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Sounds a bit like a Lois Duncan book, especially The Third Eye, but the main character's power is a bit different. Yet another amazing cover! I love the light effects they added!

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto!

2010-08-31T09:20:00.000-04:00

I recently got the opportunity to interview Alexandra Adornetto, the author of Halo, which hits book stores today! I really enjoyed reading Halo; my review is posted here!

ALEXANDRA ADORNETTO was fourteen when she published her first book,The Shadow Thief, in Australia. The daughter of two English teachers, she admits to being a compulsive book buyer who has run out of shelf space, and now stacks her reading “in wobbly piles on my bedroom floor.” Alex lives in Melbourne, Australia; Halo marks her U.S. debut.

---------------------------------

Where did you get your inspiration for Halo?

I get inspiration from all over the place. With Halo the idea was born some time ago when I was studying religion in high-school. There were only 5 kids in the class and everybody hated it, except me! I thought it was fascinating, especially the idea of the power of faith. So that, combined with my longstanding interest in the paranormal is what inspired Halo.

What was your favorite part to write about in Halo?

I enjoyed writing about Beth and Xavier’s relationship and letting it unfold. It was interesting to combine their deep connection with Gabriel’s disapproval and Molly’s jealousy. The best part was when they made the transition from occasional flirting and accidental touches to accepting their feelings for one another. I enjoyed the action scene in the graveyard as well!

If you could spend the day as any one of your characters, who would you like to be and why?

Bethany, so I could live out the real-life romance with Xavier! It’s gotta be better than sitting at a computer writing about it!

What is your writing process like?

I do chapter breakdowns so I know vaguely what’s going to happen in each one. I’m not a big planner; I’m usually too impatient to start writing. All I need to know is the basic outline of what’s going to happen and the story tends to write itself. I always do two edits (one big one and one touch-up) before sending a manuscript off to my publishers. They usually have a few edits as well, so the book goes through a fair bit before it hits shelves.

Halo’s cover is just breathtaking! Was this the original cover, or were there other versions during the publication process?

It definitely took us a while to get the cover right. We played with a lot of different ideas, like having an iconic cover (just a single feather) or a photograph of a girl with wings. But once we saw that design, we all fell in love with it. Xavier was originally a little bit different, but I wrote to the designer and explained how he should look and he absolutely nailed it!

What books are in your “To Read” pile right now?

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Dead until Dark by Charlaine Harris

When will Hades hit bookstores?

Early 2011. I will post the final release date on my Facebook page as soon as it’s finalized.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

It’s a tough industry, but don’t be put off. I believe if you want something badly enough and you’re willing to work at it, then you’ll succeed. The important thing is to take all criticism on board and incorporate suggestions into your work so that when you pitch it to publishers, it’s the best it can be.

And one just for fun: What is your favorite word and why?

Huckleberry. It’s has pretty sound and fun to say.

Thank you for taking the time out to answer my questions, Alexandra!

I definitely recommend checking out Halo!

---------------------------------

Alexandra will be touring the US this fall! Check here to see if she stops near you!

And if you're interested, check out the first two chapters of Halo on Macmaillan's website!

Alexandra's bio courtesy of Macmillian

Trailer Tuesday (4)

2010-08-31T06:37:00.000-04:00

I checked the summary for The Familiars on GoodReads and it sounds like a fun read for younger readers!

The Familiars by Adam Epstein & Andrew Jacobson (Sept. 2010)

After three young wizard apprentices are kidnapped by the evil queen of a distant land, it is up to their familiars, their magical animal companions -- a street smart alley cat, a precocious blue jay, and a bumbling tree frog -- to save them.

In My Mailbox 5

2010-08-29T00:36:00.002-04:00

Here's the vlog for In My Mailbox This week!
It's also my birthday today--so don't forget to enter my 200 Follower + Birthday contest HERE!

As I mentioned in the vlog, I'm giving away 3 copies of Dust--enter HERE if you're interested!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme inspired by The Story Siren--check here for more details!

Crusade by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

2010-08-28T07:42:00.002-04:00

Crusade by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

Release Date: September 7th 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 480

The world has been all but taken over by vampires, which are known as the Cursed Ones. At the beginning when the Cursed Ones made their presence known, they seemed civilized and like ordinary humans with only one difference--they drank blood. But they promised they only drank blood from animals or from blood bags taken from local butcher shops. And with such a charismatic spokesperson, Solomon, for the Cursed Ones, they quickly became the a novelty in society. People clamored to meet them, interact with them, and young girls began to romanticize them, portraying them as harmless cute guys with fangs.

Then war broke out and people learned they had been deceived; the Cursed Ones had to drink fresh blood from humans or they would die. War broke out but soon it became clear the Cursed Ones were winning so human leaders began to forge uneasy truces with the vampires. Both sides claimed they wanted to keep the peace, but it soon becomes clear that despite the claims of human leaders, the Cursed Ones are really the ones in charge.

More and more nations signed treaties with the Cursed Ones and many began to live in fear of the Cursed Ones, who can drain a human dry in mere seconds and who possess strength, speed, and powerful charm which can lure humans to their demise.

Not everyone has succumbed to the Cursed Ones, however. Spain is one of the few countries who have not signed agreements with the Cursed Ones and are actually training hunters to destroy the Cursed Ones. Like the vampires of legend, they can be killed by a stake the the heart, they are irritated by garlic, crosses and holy water burn them and they cannot last in the sunlight. Students from all over the world are welcome at the school in Salamanca, Spain, and Jenn was once such student. She fled her home in America and came to Salamanca to train. After completing the grueling courses, she graduated along with several other hunters and now they are sent on missions as a group.

Despite completing her training and surviving, Jenn does not feel confident of her abilities. She often doubts herself yet her teacher, Father Juan, believes she is destined for something great, and does not allow her to leave. She feels a strong bond with her hunting partner, Antonio, who also believes that the only thing Jenn lacks is confidence in her own abilities.

Suddenly called back home because of a death in the family, Jenn returns to San Fransisco and must confront her family. How will her father, who had always supported vampires and humans existing together take it, now that Jenn is a hunter? What will her younger sister say, who Jenn had left behind when she went to study in Spain? Matters worsen by a tenfold when Jenn is betrayed by someone who was supposed to protect her. A crippling blow in her already low confidence, her insecurities grow hugely. Will she find the strength to continue, or is this the end of her run as a hunter?

There were definitely points in Crusade where I couldn't put it down! I was hooked and had to see what happened next! I really liked how the focus shifted between the different characters in the book so that not only does the story continue, but you get to learn about each character's personality, their past, and their thought patterns. The switching viewpoints were well done; it was never too confusing, but was really helpful in getting a peek into each character's brain.

Crusade takes its time setting the back story and setting up before the plot starts moving along. I didn't really mind that since the whole environment was set up well; you really get a sense of defeat and fear that many people feel, now that their countries have called a truce between humans and the Cursed Ones. I really liked how the authors set up the currents state of affairs (there was good attention to detail); it seems like an accurate prediction to how many would respond if Cursed Ones really did exist and chose to expose themselves. The whole society responding to the Cursed Ones--how society adjusts and views them--really reminded me of Shade by Jerri Smith-Ready. In Shade, Jerri also did an excellent job of showing how society had to deal with a huge change: the fact that people born before the Shift can see and interact with ghosts.

The only criticism I have for this book concerns the ending. I don't quite see it and I don't quite agree with it entirely. It sets up nicely for a sequel, but the character doesn't quite fit the role as the others envision her to, but there will probably be a sequel, so that remains to be seen. I don't want to spoil anything so that's all I'll say. Can't wait to read more in this series!

**Don't forget, I'm currently hosting a giveaway & giving away 5 copies of this novel, along with 4 other novels! Enter here if you're interested! Ends 9/1

Overall: 4.25 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 4.5 stars
Cover: 3.75 stars (It's rather simple, but it works.)

Book Blogger Hop! (2)

2010-08-27T17:07:00.005-04:00

Happy Friday, everyone!! Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books! There are tons of other bloggers who participate, so check it out!

The question for this Friday:

Do you use a rating system for your reviews, and if so, what is it and why?

I just started using a rating system again! A few weeks after I first started writing reviews, I used a rating system based on the old gymnastics scoring system, the "perfect ten" system. (I'm an ex-gymnast so I thought it'd be fun and different than all the 5 star ratings). However, I felt that a number was not sufficient at conveying my thoughts about a book. After all, the plot might be excellent but the writing could leave a lot to be desired. So I took the rating system away and just recently started using a new rating system: I now give a rating (out of 5 stars) for the book overall, the plot, the writing, the characters and the cover (I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I like giving credit where it's due; a lot of effort is put into most covers and the end result can be brilliant!). You can still get a general idea of my overall view on the book via the rating system, but I also break it down further so you see where that overall number comes from!

This week...

Giveaways I'm hosting:
Enter my birthday + 200 Followers contest for a chance to win various books!

Enter for a chance to win one of three copies of the new zombie novel, Dust!

Reviews this week:

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

If you stop by, please leave a comment so I can return the favor!
Have a good weekend!

New Award!

2010-08-25T21:42:00.003-04:00

The lovely Maddie over at Confessions of a Teen Bookaholic & the wonderful Morgan from The Paperback Princess just gave me the One Lovely Blog Award! Thank you so much! I'm really grateful!

-----------------------------------------

Here are the rules:

1. Accept the award, then post it on your blog with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know that they have been chosen for this award.

-----------------------------------------

So here are the great blogs I've recently discovered that I'm nominating (in no particular order):

Read-A-Thon!

2010-08-25T20:36:00.004-04:00

Come join the fun on Twitter & at Book Crazy!

follow the hash tag #ReadAThon
I'll be participating as much as I can! Follow me @BookVault01

Here's my entry for Challenge #1 for the ReadAThon at YA Addict

Dust Giveaway!

2010-08-25T08:20:00.005-04:00

Brainnnns!

Zombie outbreak? Not quite! But I am giving away 3 copies of the upcoming release, Dust by Joan Frances Turner, which features a teenager girl and her own zombie story!

Here's a quick blurb:

Nine years ago, Jessie had a family. Now, she has a gang.

Nine years ago, Jessie was a vegetarian. Now, she eats very fresh meat.

Nine years ago, Jessie was in a car crash and died. Nine years ago, Jessie was human.

Now, she’s not.

After she was buried, Jessie awoke and tore through the earth to arise, reborn, as a zombie. Jessie’s gang is the Fly-by-Nights. She loves the ancient, skeletal Florian and his memories of time gone by. She’s in love with Joe, a maggot-infested corpse. They fight, hunt, dance together as one—something humans can never understand. There are dark places humans have learned to avoid, lest they run into the zombie gangs.

But now, Jessie and the Fly-by-Nights have seen new creatures in the woods—things not human and not zombie. A strange new illness has flamed up out of nowhere, causing the undeads to become more alive and the living to exist on the brink of death. As bits and pieces of the truth fall around Jessie, like the flesh off her bones, she’ll have to choose between looking away or staring down the madness—and hanging onto everything she has come to know as life…

Check out the book trailers:

Reminds you of those old Public Service Announcements, doesn't it?

Interested in winning a copy of Dust? Just comment on this post with your:

Name
Email
Answer this question: What would you do to defend yourself in case of a zombie outbreak? Run for the hills? Grab a shotgun? Be creative! Give a tip against zombies or your #1 zombie survival rule!
extra entries (if you so desire)

Extra entries:

+5 if you are or become a follower of The Book Vault
+5 if you follow/start following me on Twitter (@BookVault01)
+5 if you add The Book Vault to your blogroll
+3 if you post or tweet about this giveaway elsewhere--just include the link!

Don't forget to check out the official website for Dust!

Giveaway open to US residents only, no PO Boxes please. Sorry!
Please enter by 9/15/10, midnight EST.
Good luck!

Summary courtesy of GoodReads. Thank you to Penguin for donating the prizes!

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

2010-08-25T07:21:00.000-04:00

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

(Penguin/2011)

Eighteen year old Lexi Wentworth is cursed. For as long as she can remember, she’s spent every night swimming. If she doesn’t, she’ll regret it—simply walking will be agony, as if she’s stepping on shattered glass. Her body craves the water, demands the water, until she can’t say no.

But it's not the swimming that troubles Lexi. It’s the singing that goes with it.When she turned sixteen, her siren song killed the only boy she's ever loved. Now, she avoids the popular shores of the Pacific in favor of a long forgotten lake up in the mountains, where she can swim and sing in peace, far from the population of her oceanside home.

Until, that is, Troy Mills discovers her lake. He’s new to Lincoln City High, and he doesn’t know about Lexi’s reputation as an ice queen—a reputation she’s carefully cultivated to keep everyone around her safe. He pushes her, talks to her, forces her to dream of what life could be like if she weren’t a siren.

Lexi can’t stop herself from warming to him, from falling for him. Soon, he’s demanding answers, following her to the lake, unknowingly risking his life. How can she keep him safe when the one thing she wants most--to hold him close-- will endanger his life?

AHHHHHHH! I saw this on Twitter I think last week and it looks AMAZING! Cannot wait!! So many books with mythological creatures are coming out--very exciting since I've always loved reading myths!

Trailer Tuesday (3)

2010-08-24T09:35:00.000-04:00

The book trailer for the highly anticipated novel, Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare!

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

200 Followers & Birthday Giveaway Update!

2010-08-23T12:10:00.003-04:00

I have over 230 followers! *squee* Thank you!!! So as promised, I just added another prize to my 200 Followers & Birthday Giveaway! Check it out!

& If I hit 250 followers, I will add another prize!
Thanks to everyone who has entered!

There's still time to enter the giveaway if you haven't already! Ends 9/1

ENTER HERE!

In My Mailbox 4

2010-08-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

Sorry there's no vlog this week--I tried making one but my computer + webcam was not cooperating and after 3 tries, I gave up :(
But here's what I got this week:

For review:

Cloaked by Alex Finn (I definitely did a happy dance when I got this book--I liked Beastly & I'm looking forward to the movie! Thank you, HarperCollins!)
The Secret Society of the Pink Crystal Ball by Risa Green (this looks like a cute one!)
Looking for Fame: Lady Gaga (more of a biography, but I enjoy Lady Gaga's music so I thought this might be an interesting read!)

What did you all get in your mailboxes this week?

& I'd like to say a quick thanks to everyone who stopped by my blog for the Blogger Book Hop! I had a great time visiting all of your blogs and reading what you had to say! If you haven't participated in the Hop before, I definitely recommend it--it's a great way to connect w/ other fantastic bloggers out there!!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme inspired by The Story Siren--check here for more details!

I am Number Four

2010-08-21T10:27:00.000-04:00

I am Number Four by Pittacus Lore

Release Date: August 3, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 488

Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books—but we are real.

Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. we have lived among you without you knowing.

But they know.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They killed them all.

I am Number Four.

I am next.

John Smith is Number Four, though he has gone by many names already. Constantly on the move to avoid being killed, John runs with his guardian, Henri, from town to town, never staying long. And now with Numbers 1-3 dead, John knows he's next...

I don't want to give anything away, but fans of science fiction and those interested in UFO's, alien encounters, alien abductions and other things of the like--this book is for you! The plot sounds like one of those alien theories; aliens live among us and many unexplained events in our history were actually their doing. I am not a big believer of those theories, however, I still enjoyed reading I am Number Four. The plot isn't original, but I think I enjoyed the book because it was a story the author spins based on those theories, instead of just descriptions of an alien theory.

I am Number Four's plot may be about extraordinary beings, but I found a lot of the plot rather ordinary. It seemed like formula stuff; John joins a new school, gets picked on by the star jock (who's ex girlfriend was a cheerleader), but manages to get the jock to stop bullying him and manages to get the girl. It wasn't really special and some of the characters seemed flat. I was rather disappointed that readers don't really get to know Sarah that well; John just comes along, falls for her, and neither John nor the readers get to know Sarah better, which might be the reason the chemistry didn't feel very strong between the two of them.

The author did manage to build up a bit of emotion though. You feel for the Loriens who lost their planet, despite how hard they fought, and it tugs a heartstring or two when you realize those who were old enough to remember Lorien (the Nine's guardians) have lost everything they've known and must survive on a foreign planet.

Overall, I think I enjoyed I am Number Four, mostly because (as I mentioned above) it's a story based on UFO theories instead of just being a UFO theory printed in some pamphlet next to a grainy photo. Not the most well written book and some of the supporting characters were lackluster, but I would still like to know what happens next when the sequel comes out!

However, I must say that I am actually very excited for the movie! It stars Alex Pettyfer! Alex was in 2 other movies based on books I loved (Alex Rider & Beastly--which I am really really excited for!) and I can't wait to see him portray John in I am Number Four!

Overall: 3.5 out of 5
Plot: 3.5 stars
Characters: 3 stars
Writing: 3 stars
Cover: 4 stars (I like how the finished version looks overall)

Book Blogger Hop! (1)

2010-08-20T11:06:00.000-04:00

It's my first book blogger hop! A lot of fellow bloggers told me about the Hop and I decided to join the fun! Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books! There are tons of other bloggers who participate, so check it out!

The question for this Friday:

How many blogs do you follow?
A LOT! When I come across a blog that looks interesting, I tend to check it out (read some reviews, take a look at memes, check out the guest posts/interviews, etc) and then follow them!

But lately, I've been having trouble w/ google account & following, sometimes it says I'm following a blog but then it turns out I'm not so I have to try again :(

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

2010-08-19T10:12:00.000-04:00

Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford

Release Date: September 1, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic
Pages: 320

The Sullivan family is a rich and powerful family--mostly thanks to Almighty Lou--from Baltimore, Maryland. Almighty is the old-fashioned grandmother of the Sullivan children, and she a huge influence over society. It is Almighty's money (and she has a lot of it!) that supports the Sullivans but on Christmas Day, that threatens to change.

Almighty calls her family together after Christmas dinner and announces that she does not have very long to live--and that the Sullivans have been taken out of her will. Someone has offended her and she will not reinstate the family back into her will unless they write letters of confession, and apologize to her. They have until December 31st to give her their letters, which she will read before considering whether or not to put them back into her will on New Years.

Since the girls of the family have gotten on Almighty's bad side most, the family decide it must have been one of them who offended Almighty. So Norrie, Jane and Sassy set off to write their letters and hope to save their family.

Was it Norrie, whose unexpected brush with love that offended Almighty so gravely? Or might it have been Jane and her rebellious nature had that gone to far this time? Perhaps it was Sassy, who has her own life-or-death story? Will Almighty accept their explanations and apologies?

The Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters is divided into three parts--one for each sister. You get to hear each girl's full confession before moving onto the next. This format really worked for this book and I really enjoyed how it was written! The stories weren't too long or too short and you definitely get a sense of what each sister is like in their respective letters! The Sullivan family may have been big and the sisters may have had their own views and beliefs, but they still care deeply for each other, a fact which is evident in all of their stories.

The overall plot is unique and provides for a fun story. Almighty's response to the apology was true to her style, but I had thought the ending would be a bit longer. Nevertheless, a very fun, well-written and enjoyable novel with dynamic characters--I definitely recommend checking Natalie Standiford's new novel when it hits bookstores in September!

Overall: 4.75 out of 5
Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Cover: 4.75 stars

Confessions of a Bookaholic!

2010-08-18T22:35:00.000-04:00

The lovely Miss Jessica over at Confessions of a Bookaholic has just hit 900 followers! And I know this is really late, but she's also hosting a HUGE giveaway w/ more prize packs than you can shake a stick at! Go enter! And hurry--they end tomorrow!

The Contemps!

2010-08-18T18:53:00.000-04:00

21 Fabulous authors have launched The Contempts!

The authors will be doing plenty of posts and are currently hosting a challenge where you can win a copy of all 21 of their books if you promise to read at least 18 of those releases!
Go check it out!

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

2010-08-18T10:06:00.000-04:00

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
(HarperCollins/February 15, 2011)

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Soooo excited for this one!! Can't wait to read--doesn't it sound intriguing?? And yet another gorgeous cover!! Ahhhh!!!

What upcoming releases are you waiting for?

Trailer Tuesday (2)

2010-08-17T12:19:00.000-04:00

Here's the book trailer for Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrylin Keyon, which I reviewed a few weeks ago!

Ask me a question...

2010-08-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

Since most of my weekly memes are book-related, I decided to do one that's not! I wanted to start a new weekly post just for fun and hopefully this one will help you get to know me a bit better beyond the books that I like!

So every week, I'll try to answer 1 user submitted question. If you're interested in something, even if it's just simple like "What's your favorite color?" (blue!), just submit it and I'll pick one or two to answer each week!

For this week, author Linda Gerber posed the question "Do you believe in fate/destiny? Why or why not?" on her blog.

I believe in fate/destiny to a certain extent. I think our actions and decisions can change the course of the future in an instant and even subtle changes can have great effects on our futures. I think fate tries to influence your decision from time to time, but in the end, it's still you that has to make that final decision.

For instance, my decision to do varsity fencing instead of varsity winter track in my first few years of high school has had many effects on me, even years later. True, I got my first sports-related injury and was in physical therapy for a few months, but I also met amazing people that have become my closest friends today. But two big factors that made me chose fencing over winter track was that I liked running spring track better...and it was drizzling on the first day of winter track practice. I didn't mind a bit of drizzling, but did I want to try something new, or did I want to run in the rain? Yes, fate had a hand in it, but it was my decision that sealed the deal. I think your decisions and fate work hand-in-hand sometimes to change the course of your future.

Feel free to comment with your own answer to the question--do you believe in fate/destiny? I'm interested in what everyone else has to say!

Want to ask me a question? Just send it to me here! Thank you!

In My Mailbox 3

2010-08-15T21:34:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme inspired by The Story Siren--check here for more details!

Birthday & 200 Followers contest!

2010-08-13T11:41:00.002-04:00

I first started reviewing after writing my first review for a school project. I had always loved books so after the project, I started reviewing for fun! After a while, I started The Book Vault so I could keep all my reviews organized. I've enjoyed all the years connecting with other readers, book bloggers, and authors! I'm very grateful to have met so many wonderful people, gone to BEA and TAC, and to have read so many wonderful books! I am extremely grateful for all of you--all of my readers who have supported me from day one! I've had a blast and hope to continue blogging with all of you!

To celebrate having almost 200 followers & my upcoming birthday (Aug. 29th), I'm going to host a giveaway!

Here's what I'm giving away:

5 copies of Losing Faith by Denise Jaden

A terrible secret. A terrible fate.

When Brie's sister, Faith, dies suddenly, Brie's world falls apart. As she goes through the bizarre and devastating process of mourning the sister she never understood and barely even liked, everything in her life seems to spiral farther and farther off course. Her parents are a mess, her friends don't know how to treat her, and her perfect boyfriend suddenly seems anything but.

As Brie settles into her new normal, she encounters more questions than closure: Certain facts about the way Faith died just don't line up. Brie soon uncovers a dark and twisted secret about Faith's final night...a secret that puts her own life in danger.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

5 copies of Crusade by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.
Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.
~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

5 copies of The Haunted by Jessica Verday

After a summer spent reclaiming her sanity and trying to forget the boy she fell in love with by the bridge where her best friend drowned - the boy who must not exist, cannot exist, because she knows that he is dead - Abbey returns to Sleepy Hollow, determined to leave the ghosts of her past behind. She throws herself into schoolwork, perfume-making and her friendship with Ben, her cute and funny lab partner, who just might be able to help her get over Caspian once and for all. But Abbey is never going to truly be able to move on from Caspian and Caspian has no choice but to return to her side: for Caspian is a Shade and Abbey is his destiny. The two are tied not only to each other, but also to the town of Sleepy Hollow and the famous legend that binds their fates - a legend whose true ending and dark truths they are only just beginning to guess...

book trailer for The Haunted:

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

1 copy of What's Your St@tus by Katie Finn

Madison MacDonald thinks things are finally working out!

Followers: 300

Status Updates:

mad_mac Nate and I have been together for two months, and it’s wonderful! Life is good!

mad_mac Well, except for the fact that I still might be failing history.

mad_mac And I no longer have a BFF.

mad_mac But aside from those things!

mad_mac Okay. So, um, apparently I’ve just been put in charge of the school’s priceless heirloom.

mad_mac And the assistant headmaster has a vendetta against me.

mad_mac And it seems I’m being blackmailed.

mad_mac Gathering together a crew. I’m going to try and pull off a heist. Without getting caught. Or expelled. Or arrested.

mad_mac Also, I think I may have just accidentally wrecked my relationship. . . .

Madison MacDonald is trying not to panic.

~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~

225+ Followers--Added 8/23:

1 ARC of Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales
Read my review of it here!

The higher you aim, the farther you fall….

It’s Violet’s junior year at the Westfield School. She thought she’d be focusing on getting straight As, editing the lit mag, and making Scott Walsh fall in love with her. Instead, she’s just trying to hold it together in the face of cutthroat academics, Scott Walsh’s new girlfriend, and the sense that things are going irreversibly wrong with her best friend, Katie.
When Katie starts making choices that Violet can’t even begin to fathom, Violet has no idea how to set things right between them. Westfield girls are trained for success—but how can Violet keep her junior year from being one huge epic fail?

I'll add more prizes if I reach 225, 250, etc followers!

To enter, please fill out the form HERE

Rules:

open to US residents/addresses only (sorry!)
open to people 13 years & older (if you're younger & want to enter, please have your parent email me at bookvault(at)yahoo.com giving you permission)

Extra entries:

+5 if you are or become a follower
+5 if you are or become a follower on Twitter
+5 if you add The Book Vault to your blog roll
+2 if you tweet about it (please include the link)
+2 if you post/blog about this giveaway elsewhere (please include a link)

I would love some feedback about The Book Vault so I can make improvements. If you are interested, please fill out the survey HERE.
1-2 winners (depending on how many completed surveys I receive) from the completed surveys will be selected first. They will have first pick from the prizes. The rest of the winners will be chosen at random from the regular pool and their prizes will also be selected at random.
Thank you all in advance!

Please enter by September 1st, midnight EST
Good luck to all & thanks for entering!

Thank you very much to Simon & Schuster and Scholastic for generously donating the prizes! All book summaries are courtesy of GoodReads!

Duff & Linger winners!

2010-08-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my Duff ARC & Linger giveaways!
Without further ado, I present the winners, chosen via random number generator:

Winner for (1) ARC of Duff is Renkellym (Lauren M)!

Winner for (1) copy of Linger is Janet Wooldridge!

Congrats!
Please email me at bookvault(at)yahoo.com with your name & mailing address so I can get your prize out to you!

If you didn't win, don't worry! I'm currently hosting my Birthday & 200 Follower Contest and I'll be giving away 16 books! Enter HERE if you're interested!

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

2010-08-11T09:45:00.000-04:00

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann
(Simon Pulse/February 8, 2011)

The small town of Cryer's Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing - someone close to Kendall's heart - the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall¹s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school - messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there - Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something's not right in Cryer’s Cross - and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.

Ahh! A new book by Lisa McMann! Something new to look forward to from her now that the Wake trilogy is over!

Trailer Tuesday (1)

2010-08-10T09:02:00.000-04:00

There are some pretty awesome book trailers out there these days so I figured I'd try to share some of them with you!

I recently reviewed (and loved!) Halo by Alexandra Adornetto and the lovely people at Macmillan told me about the new book trailer for it!

Yay!

2010-08-09T11:24:00.000-04:00

Just got back from the dentist & they said I'm still a little swollen on one side from the wisdom teeth removal earlier this week, but that I'm healing nicely :)

Also, another point of "yay" is The Book Vault has almost 200 followers! Yay! Thank you all--it means a lot to me and I'm glad to be connected to so many other fellow book lovers! And thank you to everyone who reads & comments; it's great getting feedback and I've enjoyed getting to know some of you better!

And lastly, it's almost my birthday!

I think this all calls for a giveaway or two! I'm organizing everything now, but hopefully I'll have a few giveaways up by the end of this week to celebrate so many followers & my birthday that's around the corner--do you think I can get 200 readers by Thursday so I can call it a "200 Follower giveaway?" :)

In My Mailbox 2

2010-08-08T12:26:00.000-04:00

It was a bit of a quiet week for me; I got 1 book for review this week & borrowed 1 from the library to read.

For review:
Black Dust Mambo by Adrian Phoenix

From the library:
Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

I know I'm really late on reading this one, but since a lot of the kids that I see at the library have read this (and told me about it during the summer reading program) I figured it's time I finally read it too. I hardly managed to get our copy when it came back in; it's been going out a lot since the Percy Jackson movie came out!

What'd you all get in your mailboxes this week?

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme inspired by The Story Siren--check here for more details!

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

2010-08-05T10:46:00.000-04:00

Mostly Good Girls by Leila Sales

Release Date: October 5, 2010
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 288

Violet Tunis is a junior at Westfield Prep, a private all-girls school in Boston. She and her best friend Katie are your typical HS students; trying to manage their academic, social and family lives. But unlike Kate, extracurricular and grades do not come so easily to Violet--she actually has to work for them. Nevertheless, Violet is a good student and the editor-in-chief of The Wisdom, the school's literary magazine.

Differences or no, Violet and Katie have been friends forever; they share similar interests, both have a good sense of humor, and both lust for the same guy; Scott Walsh, the cutie from Harper-Woodbane, the nearby all-boys school. The two cause their fair share of shenanigans and seem to share matching wits. The two have their own adventures together, trying to get the typical "teenage girl experience" which is no easy feat in some aspects, since their interaction with boys is rather limited.

But as junior year progresses, Katie starts to change, she starts ditching the extracurricular activities she used to love, gets a boyfriend who isn't as nice or hot as Scott Walsh (in Violet's opinion at least), and hardly cares about her school work any more. Violet doesn't understand why Katie would ditch everything she has: stellar grades, effortless skill at extracurricular activities, including crew, and a good reputation--everything Violet has to work so hard to get. As the two start drifting further apart--both as friends and their opinions--Violet may learn more about what her best friend and her viewpoints. Violet will have to learn to open her eyes since she's been in private school her own life, but their transformations may just help both of them learn more about themselves and how to stand up for what they believe in.

Although the premise of the book is a bit cliche, I think Violet's voice made it stand out. She's funny, quirky and believable. Despite the fact I attend public school and not private school like Violet does, Violet is still a character many teenage girls can relate to; many of us work for good grades, worry about college, and pine for cute boys. I really liked how there were short little chapters with fun titles--some were funny, some simple and to-the-point, but Violet's voice can be heard clearly through all of them. I loved the vignette-style of this book; that along with Violet's voice really made this book very enjoyable for me.

Overall, I have to say I had a fun time reading Mostly Good Girls and going on Violet's journey with her. Violet's got a wry sense of humor that provided plenty of laughs and readers really get to see Violet and Katie grow as they learn more about themselves and what they care for. Mostly Good Girls is not too heavy, but not too light-hearted either. It's a good debut from Leila Sales that most readers will enjoy!

Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

2010-08-04T10:58:00.000-04:00

Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

Release Date: August 3, 2010
Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 256

Anastasija Parker is not your typical teen--she's a witch. She's always known that, but on her 16th birthday--the day her True Witch initiation is supposed to take place--she's about to find out a whole lot more about her supernatural self.

But for now, Ana is more worried about her initiation. Unlike her best friend Bea, she doesn't think she possesses any powers as a witch. She can't conjure spells or summon her magic like Bea does, which is a problem, seeing that she needs to preform magic for her initiation. Ana is less than confident for her Initiation, despite Bea and her mother's beliefs that she has powers that just haven't shown themselves yet. Sadly, her day does not get any better; the school's resident dumb jock Thompson has to get in her daily taunting.

Heading home from school slightly dejected and extremely nervous, Ana is in for a surprise when her father that she has never known shows up on her doorstep, demanding her not to go to her initiation. Before Ana can react, her mother quite literally throws him out of the house. And why this unceremonious departure? Because, Ana learns, her father is a vampire. It also happens that vampires are the moral enemies, so what's Ana to do?

The only stroke of luck Ana seems to have at her initiation is her interaction with Nik, a hot guy and a fellow witch. Nik seems to reciprocate her affections, which is a boost for Ana's confidence, since she's always seen herself as a bit of a plain jane, and a failure as a witch. But just when things start to get warm between Nik and Ana, Elias shows up. He's vampire who's sworn to protect her and soon checks on her constantly. Despite his protectiveness, he is also a gentleman and Ana can't help but like him too. It seems that Ana will not only have to chose between her two bloodlines, but also between these two cute guys as well.

Before she knows it, the witches and vampires are fighting to claim her as their own. Is Ana a Witch or the princess of the vampires? Each side is intent on having her be solely vampire or solely witch, but what will Ana chose? Can she even chose, and turn her back on one of her parents and half her blood?

In the the description for Almost to Die For, the novel is described as "Twilight-meets-The Princess Diaries," however, I found the later is more true than the former; the girl-finds-out-she's-a-princess-and-her-life-changes idea does show up in this book, but while Ana has to adjust to the fact that she's royalty, the book does not focus solely on her trying to become a monarch. Almost to Die For does also share some similarities with Twilight; mostly the fact that two boys are vying for her attention, and both of those boys are part of two races that are sworn enemies, but not much more than that. I feel that the biggest issue Ana struggles with is her choice between her two heritages--which one should she follow?

At first, I found it rather hard to get into Almost to Die For--it sounded like another vampire and supernatural book and Ana complained too much for my liking in the beginning. Eventually, the plot picked up and it wasn't half bad. Although it seems a bit cliche at times and does not have the most original of plots (overall, it does sound like a mesh between Twilight and the Princess Diaries series) supernatural fans will find Almost to Die For enjoyable. The writing is not bad and the quirks and twists as the novel progresses will keep supernatural fans interested. I'm glad that Ana grew more as a character; it was nice to see her confidence increase and to see her take more control over her own life.

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

2010-08-04T09:51:00.000-04:00

Pegasus by Robin McKinley
(Putnam Juvenile/November 2, 2010)

Because of a thousand-year-old alliance between humans and pegasi, Princess Sylviianel is ceremonially bound to Ebon, her own pegasus, on her twelfth birthday. The two species coexist peacefully, despite the language barriers separating them. Humans and pegasi both rely on specially-trained Speaker magicians as the only means of real communication.

But it’s different for Sylvi and Ebon. They can understand each other. They quickly grow close—so close that their bond becomes a threat to the status quo—and possibly to the future safety of their two nations.

I am simply dying to read this book! It sounds amazing and I've always loved mythology so I'm interested in seeing this new world Robin has created! Can't wait to read this book!

Tell Me a Secret book trailer!

2010-08-03T10:11:00.001-04:00

I recently read, reviewed and loved Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala, and there's a new trailer for her novel! Check it out!

Nice, isn't it? I like the animation for this one!

Wisdom Teeth & giveaways

2010-08-02T21:03:00.000-04:00

So I ended today with 4 less teeth than I began...bye bye wisdom teeth! The surgery went pretty well, but recovery hasn't been brilliant unfortunately. I threw up quite a few times because of the meds, so I have to go in and get checked later this week.

I'm still reading & reviewing, but it might be a bit slow this week. So I'd like to give you guys a bit more time to enter the 2 giveaways I have running right now. They'll both end on 8/8/10
thanks for understanding & thanks for all your comments lately; they made my day!

In My Mailbox (1)

2010-08-01T22:20:00.000-04:00

What'd you all get to read this week?

P.S. I finally started using my GoodReads account again and I'm glad I did! It's great hearing what everyone else has to say about books I've read as well as finding more books to add to my TBR list! (though I must admit my TBR list is already too long! haha)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme inspired by The Story Siren--check here for more details!

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

2010-08-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Release Date: August 31, 2010
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 496

The small town of Venus Cove has always been a peaceful place, but lately, there have been darker happenings. A girl died in a local fire and small troubles and misdeeds have sprung up around town. In response to the growing darkness around Venus Cove, three angels have been sent down from Heaven to renew the town's faith and to bring goodness back.

Ivy is a healer, Gabriel a warrior, and Bethany a young angel who is still trying to figure out what her gift is. Bethany is the youngest of the three angels sent to Venus Cove, and also the most human--something Ivy and Gabriel often worry about. Bethany is an angel, but is also prone to human mistakes, and begins to get far more involved and emotionally invested than other angels would consider safe.

Ivy, Gabriel and Bethany try to blend in, working subtly to help set things right. Bethany wants to experience what being a teenager is like, but even she catches the Ivy and Gabriel by surprise when she starts to fall for the handsome Xavier Woods. How can an angel fall for a mortal boy? The other angels had expected Bethany to know better and to have more control, but Bethany has never experienced anything like falling in love before and craves Xavier's company.

Soon Bethany's amorous feelings for Xavier will the be the least of the angel's worries when a newer, more powerful dark force arrives to wreck havoc on Venus Cove. Will it undo everything the trio has worked so hard for? And what will they do when a dark, handsome, seductive stranger arrives in town and sets his sights on Bethany?

Halo is not an action-heavy novel. It not a book that focuses entirely on plot but rather, focuses on the journey the characters go on. Although it slow at times, it was nice seeing how Bethany tried to fit in. She was rather clueless at times and I wish she was stronger, but she did grow a bit as the novel progressed.

If you're into books that have a set and clear plot and are filled with action, you might find Halo a bit slow. In my opinion, Ms. Adornetto was not focusing just on the end product, but also on the journey. In a way, Halo reminded me of the film Children of Men in the way that both gave more attention to the journey the character experience, rather than just what happens at the end. Both have key occurrences that move the plot along, but the focus is on how characters reach the end, not just the end.

Despite featuring angels and their battles against dark forces, I did not find Halo very preachy. It was not over the top and was not trying to force religion down your throat, which was nice and allows you to just enjoy the book.

I thought Halo was very well-written and was very impressed to learn that the author is only seventeen years old! Halo is an interesting story and provided an intriguing take on angels and their differences (in both expectations and existence) from humans as well as the structure of Heaven . I definitely enjoyed Halo and am really glad I was able to snag a copy at BEA this year! It lived up to my expectations and I am eagerly awaiting the next novel in the trilogy, Hades!

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2010-07-29T11:10:00.000-04:00

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Release Date: May 25, 2010
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 480

Nick Gautier has not led an easy life; he has never known his father (seeing that his father is in prison) and lives alone with his mother, who was all but disowned by her family for keeping her son when she got pregnant while still in school. Nick and his mother live in near poverty with his mother working as a stripper at a local club to support them. Constantly bullied by his classmates because of his conditions (the secondhand Hawaiian t-shirts from Good Will his mother buys for him don't help), Nick has become an extremely cynical and sarcastic person. Since he is fiercely defensive of his mother and her honor, Nick is constantly getting into scuffles and trouble at school, earning him earfuls from his mother and the principle.

But soon it won't be just constant teasing that Nick will have to worry about; some of the kids at school have suddenly started eating other students. Nick's friend Bubba (who happens to run a store that sells various weapons for slaying dark creatures) is thoroughly convinced that there are zombies running around. But Nick doesn't believe in such nonsense, especially when the theory comes from a gun-toting, Oprah-watching, insane man.

But while trying to escape the odd events that are happening at school, Nick gets into a sticky spot with the people he thought were his friends. After a close brush with death, a mysterious man by the name of Acheron rescues him and offers him a job. Little does Nick know, this job may just open his eyes to a world he never knew existed--a world that includes gods, zombies, vampires and other beings he had once thought only existed in fantasies. Cynical and unbelieving as ever, Nick thinks the people around him are just going bonkers, but he better start believing soon, or he might just end up next on the menu for some of those creatures...

I have mixed opinions about Infinity. Overall, I'd say I enjoyed reading it, mostly thanks to Bubba and Nick's characters. Nick has a quick wit and can be extremely sarcastic at times (a trait which has unfortunately landed himself in trouble with bullies, parents and other persons of authority multiple times), but despite being street-smart, had a sense of honor and was highly protective of his mother. As for Bubba, what's not to like? He's got sarcastic comebacks that rival Nick's, has more modified weapons than is safe or legal, knows how to use a (modified, of course) cattle prod, and is obsessed with watching Oprah. (And you better not disturb him while he's watching Oprah, or you may just find yourself on the receiving end of said cattle prod.) The two of them, Nick and Bubba, really made the book for me and I had more than a few good laughs as I read Infinity.

I found Infinity confusing at times, though this could be because I have never read Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series (which is an adult series while Infinity is YA). Some of the characters' backgrounds were confusing (I had trouble keeping up with who was related to whom), as was the plot at times. Some parts of the books were also rather repetitive; for instance, Nick would get in trouble, get yelled at by his mother, say he's sorry, then the cycle would just start over.

Certain parts felt a little too far-fetched and almost forced --spoiler alert-- (skip to the next paragraph if you don't want to read the spoiler) like the part where we learn that the live zombies were turned that way because of a computer game. I thought it was a little much and had been hoping for a better reason why the certain kids had been turned into zombies.

While I love Nick's sarcasm, I think other aspects of his character were a bit baffling. For instance, he eventually becomes more receptive to the idea that certain people he interacts with, Acheron and Caleb for instance, are not really human. Despite this acceptance that there might be some paranormal beings around, Nick adamantly refuses to believe in zombies and creatures of the night. He thinks Bubba and Mark are off their rockers since they believe in zombies, hunt them, and hold zombie survival classes. I wasn't sure how Nick could believe Acheron wasn't human, but kept refusing to believe in zombies, vampires and other things Bubba and his friends hunted.

From what I heard, there has been mixed reviews for Infinity. I thought it had it's flaws but also had some redeeming qualities. I rather enjoyed Nick's wit, so I'll be interested in seeing what happens next in his adventure, along with what Bubba and Mark will do next. Hopefully the next book will help sort out some of the confusion I have concerning the plot and relationships in the first book! I am looking forward to reading Chronicles of Nick: Invincible, but meanwhile, I think I'd like to check out Sherrilyn's Dark Hunter series!

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

2010-07-28T14:26:00.000-04:00

Steel by Carrie Vaughn

(HarperTeen / March 1, 2011)

When Jill, a competitive high school fencer, goes with her family on vacation to the Bahamas, she is magically transported to an early eighteenth century pirate ship in the middle of the ocean.

Doesn't that sound good?? And what a gorgeous cover! Okay, I'll admit that one of the reasons I want to read this book so badly is because I'm a fencer too! I wonder what style Jill fences in HS? But fencing isn't really like real sword fighting at all, so it'll be interesting to see how she adapts!

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

2010-07-26T11:41:00.000-04:00

Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Release Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 336

Jacinda isn't human. Well, not all the time at least; she's a Draki, which means she can manifest to her dragon form. Since she's the first fire-breathing Draki for many generations, she is closely guarded by her pride. Too closely, if you ask Jacinda--she hates how Cassian, an onyx Draki who will be the next alpha, thinks she is his property. Constantly hovering and watching Jacinda, Cassian wants her as his mate simply because she is the first fire-breather in decades. The rest of the pride is no better; they believe that they have control over her just because she's unique. But as much as she enjoys living with her kind, Jacinda will not submit to their control willingly.

Being Draki comes with risks, and with her father long dead, Jacinda knows that. Still, she cannot help but want to fly alone with her closest friend, Azure, away from the pride's watchful eyes. Sneaking out for a flight with Azure one night, the pair is met by a pack of hunters and soon Jacinda is flying for her life. Taking refuge in a cave where she is soon discovered, she is surprised when one of the hunters, a teenage boy, spares her life. Her relief is short-lived however, since Jacinda's mom decides it's too dangerous to stay with the pride anymore. With Cassian and the pride's angry reaction to Jacinda's newest bout of rebellion, Jacinda's mom fears the pride's intentions for Jacinda.

Now tucked away in a small town in the desert, Jacinda hates her life. She hates how her mom wants her Draki to wither away and die, just as her mother's did. While Jacinda is miserable, her sister, Tamra, is happier than she has ever been. Tamra's draki never manifested, making her feel out of place with the pride, but now at a normal school, she fits in seamlessly.

But just how normal is this town? When Jacinda meets the hunter that spared her life that night, she feels inexplicably drawn to him. She knows she should avoid him since he and his family hunts her kind, but something tells her he, Will, is different than his family. Playing with fire, Jacinda gets to know Will better and gets far more tangled in the small town than she had originally wanted. Even as she's fighting to keep her draki alive in the hot desert, Jacinda cannot stay away from Will. How long can she and her family hide from Will's family, though? What would be more dangerous, Will's family learning her true identity--or the pride tracking her and her family down?

Firelight is a great start to a new series! Sophie Jordan has begun to create an interesting world with Draki, their own culture and the world that surrounds them. I would have loved to learn more about the Draki in this book, but hopefully there will be more information on them in the next book! I am a fan of fantasy and paranormal books, but it refreshing to read about dragons since the paranormal market has been filled with books about vampires and werewolves lately! I haven't really read a series with dragons lately, so Firelight was a nice change!

Although romance is one of the main themes in Firelight, I'm glad it also included an adventure! It's nice to see the main character not just moping around, waiting for a guy to come by and fall in love with her, but also to see her own struggles and the challenges she has to face when that guy does come by! Jacinda has never felt more out of place surrounded by people who are normal while the only other Draki around her (her mother and sister) would do anything to forget their Draki roots and just fit in. I enjoyed reading Firelight and eagerly await the next novel in the series!

Blog tour stop: Maggie Stiefvater

2010-07-23T10:31:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the next stop of maggie Stiefvater's blog tour for her newest novel, Linger!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: July 13, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 368

Grace and Sam are back --along with a few new wolves. At the end of Shiver, Beck had created some new wolves with the intention for them to keep the pack strong. But he didn't know that Sam had been cured, no longer forced to shift between wolf and human, thanks to Grace and Isabel.

Now the new pack has become Sam's responsibility, and taking care of the new wolves won't be easy after Sam worked so hard not to be wolf. One of the newcomers is Cole St. Claire, lead singer of a popular band who wants nothing more to escape his life by being wolf.

Isabel feels wolves coming back into her life all over again when Cole shows up. With her brother's death in the back of her mind, Isabel is hesitant to have anything to do with the wolves beyond Grace and Sam, but she can't help but feel drawn to Cole.

While Grace and Sam are happy to have more time together now that Sam is no longer wolf, Grace's health has suddenly taken a turn for the worse. It starts off small but then her fevers get worse and Grace starts to reek of wolf, Sam fears this is no ordinary flu.

Linger seemed a bit slow at times, but halfway through, a new sense of urgency starts to take over. At first, I was not entirely sure what the plot was; it seemed that Grace and Sam's relationship was progressing and new characters were coming in. Things really start to pick up further into the novel.

Hopeless romantics, myself included, with be glad that Grace and Sam are going strong as ever, though sometimes their narratives got even too mushy and lovey-dovey even for me. Thankfully, this is balanced out by Maggie's expansion of the points of view to to include Isabel and Cole's voices. Cole may come off as the angsty teenager type, but it works with his extreme cynicism and arrogant charm. He and Isabel's POV's quickly became my favorite parts to read, especially when the two met. Isabel and Cole each struggle with their own demons, but their banter and how their relationship evolves was fun to read. It really helped balance out some of the sadness and urgency that started to grow as the story progressed.

Although I enjoyed Shiver more, most fans of the first book will not be disappointed. Maggie Stiefvater's fantastic ability to create unique characters that each have different but believable voices carries through in Linger. Ms. Stiefvater is able to portray images and emotions so vividly, it draws readers into her novels. Although the plot seemed much more evident in Shiver, I feel that the character development was much better and beautifully done in Linger, now that the focus is not just on trying to keep Sam human. I look forward to finding out what happens in the final installment of this series when it comes out!

--------------------

Maggie Stiefvater is the author of Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie, Shiver, and Linger.

Maggie Stiefvater's website (blog here) Shiver series Website Follow Maggie on Twitter @mstiefvater

Ms. Stiefvater has graciously taken the time out to answer a few questions!

If you could spend a day as any one of your characters, who would you like to be?
Well, they all have pretty tormented lives. I’d need therapy. I would like to be the girl from the candy shop in Shiver, because then I could stuff myself with sugar for an entire day and then abandon all those calories and stomach aches for my normal body the next. See my animal cunning there?

What is the most rewarding part about being an author?

I have a selfish thing and an unselfish thing. The selfish thing is when I get the first real copy of each book I write. I hug the cover and pet the pages and cuddle it and show it to everyone who can’t get away fast enough. The unselfish thing is when I get an e-mail from a reader whose life was really changed by reading the book in some unexpected way. I’ve gotten some emails that literally made me sniffly and you can ask anyone, sniffly is not something Maggies normally are.

What are your favorite childhood books?

I was a big fantasy reader as a pre-teen -- I would look for anything with the fantasy sticker in the library -- and as I got older, I decided Dean Koontz was da bomb. Then I gravitated back to YA fantasy again. I still love Diana Wynne Jones’ books.

What is your favorite word and why?

Revolting. Hey, you asked, not me.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
READ. A fantastic book is your best text book. Oh yeah, and google "how to write a good query."

Thank you so much for stopping by, Maggie!

Scholastic has graciously donated a finished copy of Linger for a giveaway! Interested in winning? Just fill out the form below!

Rules:
Open to US only (sorry!)
No PO Boxes please
Please only fill out the form once
Please enter by August 7th, midnight, EST.

extra entries:
+ 5 new or old follower of The Book Vault
+5 follower of me on Twitter (@BookVault01)
+3 if you tweet/post about this giveaway elsewhere (please include the link)
+2 if you comment on this post w/ your thoughts about the interview, Linger, or about Maggie's novels

Please fill out the form HERE to enter!
Good luck!

Jeri Smith-Ready's new adult book!

2010-07-22T10:28:00.000-04:00

I recently read & reviewed Jeri Smith-Ready's recent YA book, Shade. (Which, by the way, is an amazing book that I highly recommend!)

Ms. Smith-Ready has an adult book, Bring on the Night, that will soon be released and here's a little blurb:

WHAT'S BLOOD GOT TO DO WITH IT?
Recovering con artist Ciara Griffin seems to finally have it all. A steady job at WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock 'n' Roll. A loving relationship with the idiosyncratic but eternally hot DJ Shane McAllister. A vampire dog who never needs shots or a pooper-scooper. And after nine years, it looks as if she might actually finish her bachelor's degree!

But fate has other plans for Ciara. First she must fulfill her Faustian bargain with the Control, the paranormal paramilitary agency that does its best to keep vampires in line. Turns out the Control wants her for something other than her (nonexistent) ability to kick undead ass. Her anti-holy blood, perhaps? Ciara's suspicions are confirmed when she's assigned to a special-ops division known as the Immanence Corps, run by the Control's oldest vampire and filled with humans who claim to have special powers. To a confirmed skeptic like Ciara, it sounds like a freak fest. But when a mysterious fatal virus spreads through Sherwood—and corpses begin to rise from their graves—Ciara will not only get a crash course in zombie-killing, but will be forced to put her faith, and her life itself, in the hands of magic

Sounds good, doesn't it? Perhaps some of us older readers can enjoy Ms. Smith-Ready's newest book while we're waiting for the sequel to Shade!

And check out this neat video where Jeri speaks about her past jobs before becoming an author!

Blog tour: The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer!

2010-07-20T09:58:00.000-04:00

The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer

Release Date: May 1, 2010
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 352

Abby has always covered for her sister's, Maya's, wrong doings. Not one to follow the rules, Maya dropped out of school, rarely came home, and hung with a questionable crowd. But Abby has always been there for her--been the buffer between Maya and her parents, covered for all the trouble she caused, and suggested Jefferson Andrews as Maya's tutor for her GED. Jefferson Andrews is the star of the high school--a stellar student despite his poor household and a teenager admired and loved by all--who eventually becomes romantically involved with Maya.

But then Jefferson Andrews shows up dead, and Maya was the last known person with him. Has Maya gone too far this time? Hardly remembering what happened the night Jefferson died but adamantly stating that she did not kill him, Abby knows she needs to hide Maya, who is already seen in less-than-favorable light by her parents, before Maya is found and brought to the police.

With Maya hidden away, Abby begins her own secret investigation to clear her sister's name, but her own investigation may lead her to not just clues that reveal more about Jefferson's murder, but also clues about Jefferson's background (which reveals his true--and not so beautiful--personality), and Maya's messed up life.

As the investigation progresses and more clues are found, just how deadly a sister can be soon becomes apparent...
The Deadly Sister is an great summer mystery! Although confusing at times, readers will enjoy finding clues along with Abby and guessing how they fit into the crime. The twists will keep readers turning the pages until more of Maya, Abby and Jefferson's backgrounds are revealed and the killer discovered! Cleverly worded at some points, this novel allows readers to interpret them how they will, and make their own guesses for who's guilty and who's not.

I feel that the ending could have been a bit more shocking if it had been revealed through actions and more clues (that could be interpreted in many ways) being unearthed, rather than it just be stated in a near monologue. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading The Deadly Sister! It was a little slow for me at first, but once the pace picked up, I could hardly put it down! I'm definitely glad I kept reading!

---------------------------

Eliot Schrefer, author of The Deadly Sister, The School for Dangerous Girls, and Glamorous Disaster, has generously taken the time out to answer a few questions:

Which of the characters you've created is/was your favorite to write about?

The antagonist from my first novel, Glamorous Disasters, took over every scene she was in. Since the book was satire, I was able to go over-the-top with her, really go gothic and horrible and unpredictable. At the same time she had this yearning need, and I think she's one of the most sympathetic characters in the book.

What is your favorite place to write?

I'm a big fan of cafe writing. Years of childhood spent not heeding my mother's advice and listening to music while I did homework paid off—I get into work mode when I have headphones on, and the rest of the cafe falls away. Yet, when I reach a pause point in my writing and come up for air, there's bustle and people around me. It breaks up the essential loneliness of the writing process.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

I think the main reason many aspiring writers don't finish a draft is that they don't allow themselves to be bad. The urge is to perfect what you have before you move on, which is fatal to the writing process—write a truly crummy first draft, and then spend as long as you want making it better. Just keep reminding yourself that the first draft doesn't have to be good, it just has to be there.

If you could spend a day as any fictional character, who would you like to be?

Oh, I would be Tibby from Howards End. Not because I love the character, but because he's the brother to the Schlegel sisters, and I would love to spend an afternoon having tea with them in their gray little London townhouse. Their dialogue in that book is amazing—profound and yet light and crisp and personable.

What is your favorite word, and why?

I'm in Italy right now, so the word that comes to mind is stanco, which means tired. Because, to an American ear, it captures something ineffable about being tired, that there's something stank, something sharp and pungent, about it.

What is your favorite childhood book?

The Neverending Story, by Michael Ende.

Describe yourself in 3 words?

I was at a bar with some friends once, and we assigned one another categories from the wine list. I got “light, citrus-y, and crisp.” I think it works.

And one just for fun: If you won the lottery, how would you spend your prize money?

Easy. A house with a garden. And I'd love to fund a sanctuary for primates in the Congo—with all the internal conflict, they're getting harder to protect.

Thanks for stopping by, Eliot!

Check out this Q&A video by Eliot where he discusses a few aspects of his upcoming book!

Don't forget to visit Eliot Schrefer's website & pick up a copy of The Deadly Sister in bookstores today!

Duff ARC giveaway!

2010-07-19T00:03:00.000-04:00

As promised, I'm holding a giveaway to celebrate the fact that I finally got a Twitter! I'll be giving away an ARC of Duff by Kody Keplinger! I really enjoyed reading Duff and you can see my review here!

To win the ARC you must be a follower on Twitter (@BookVault01).
Just fill out this form by August 5th, midnight EST! 1 winner will be selected at random from all the eligible entries & emailed after Aug. 5th.

Open to US only!

Extra entries:
+2 if you follow The Book Vault
+1 if you comment on my review of Duff
+1 if you tweet about this giveaway
+1 if you post about this giveaway on Facebook
+1 if you post about this giveaway on your blog

Fill out the form HERE to enter!
Good luck!