Review: Tide of Terror (Vampirates #2) by Justin Somper

Synopsis from Goodreads:
In this sequel to Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean, there's a traitor aboard the Diablo and enemies at every turn. As the danger intensifies, Grace discovers a place where her twin brother Connor could learn more about the pirate way without risking his life: the elite Pirate Academy. Will Connor choose an education by sea or by school, and will Grace be forced to follow him wherever he goes?

Review:

Tide of Terror, the second book in the Vampirates series is a thrilling ride full a more pirates, action, adventure, betrayals, and more! For me, it was fast paced. Best of all, there was a little more about the vampirates although I would have liked to see more (and that is what the sequels are for).

Connor and Grace were together for the most part in this book, but you can see that they are destined for different paths. Connor wants to be a pirate. In fact, he excels at everything pirate related. He even has visions of being a captain in the future. Grace, on the other hand, longs for the Vampirate ship and Lorcan, her vampirate friend. That being said, she does some pretty crazy things to try to get back on the ship. From jumping into the harbor to taking "spirit journeys" to visit the ship. From Connor's visions to Grace's "spirit journeys," I am curious to discover if the twins have some sort of special powers that they are not aware of.

The only parts I didn't like were the few parts where I was like "Wow, that's lame." An example is when Connor and his friend, Jacoby, did a special handshake. I didn't think it was necessary, but then I remembered that Connor is only fourteen, so I guess it's okay.

Anyways, I can't wait to see where Justin Somper takes the story next. Tide of Terror was a fun book to read. It was a quick read that was just fun. I love the mystery the Vampirates present. I look forward to finding out more about the mysterious captain of the Vampirate ship. I want to know why he wears a mask, and who exactly is behind the mask.

Rating: 4.5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (4)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating:

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publication Date: October 26, 2010

Here's the synopsis from beautifulcreaturesthebook.com:

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town’s tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

It sounds so good! I loved Beautiful Creatures, and the sequel is sure to be great!

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (4)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser Tuesday comes from page 115 of Graceling by Kristin Cashore:


"She wouldn't see Po again until their next fight. And the fight always returned her to herself."

I haven't even started this book, but I am about to do just that!






Swords are for fighting,

Review: Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Synopsis from Goodreads:

The vampire in me was closer to the surface . . .

Evernight Academy: an exclusive boarding school for the most beautiful, dangerous students of all—vampires. Bianca, born to two vampires, has always been told her destiny is to become one of them.

But Bianca fell in love with Lucas—a vampire hunter sworn to destroy her kind. They were torn apart when his true identity was revealed, forcing him to flee the school.

Although they may be separated, Bianca and Lucas will not give each other up. She will risk anything for the chance to see him again, even if it means coming face-to-face with the vampire hunters of Black Cross—or deceiving the powerful vampires of Evernight. Bianca's secrets will force her to live a life of lies.

Yet Bianca isn't the only one keeping secrets. When Evernight is attacked by an evil force that seems to target her, she discovers the truth she thought she knew is only the beginning. . . .


Review:

Stargazer is the second book in the Evernight series (Evernight is the first one), and I thought it surpassed Evernight in so many ways. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy Evernight, but I didn't think it was all that amazing. Stargazer, on the other hand, was great! I started reading it as soon as I bought it and didn't stop until I finished. I couldn't put it down!

I liked that there was more action in this book. There was never a dull moment with all of the plot twists. One of my favorite things about this book was adding the ghosts or wraiths to the story. I loved Claudia Gray's idea that vampires are the undead body while wraiths are the undead spirit. That was definitely clever.

My favorite part of Stargazer was that my favorite character from Evernight, Balthazar, is one of the main characters! Even though Bianca is head over heels in love with Lucas, I still think that Bianca should give Balthazar a real chance. He seems like a better choice for her since he is a vampire, and Bianca is destined to become a vampire herself. Lucas, on the other hand, is dead set against ever becoming a vampire, so I do not see how it will work out for these two lovebirds. I guess we will just have to wait and see how it plays out.

In this book, I think that the characters have really grown, especially Bianca. She is not as naive as she seemed in Evernight. I like that she has started to question everything that she once thought held true. Even though Lucas and Bianca spend most of their time apart in this book, their relationship has definitely grown. Their love for one another reminds me of Romeo and Juliet because their love is essentially forbidden (even though Lucas' family doesn't know that Bianca is not human).

Like with most books in a series, the ending left me wanting more. That being said, I look forward to reading Hourglass and seeing where Claudia Gray takes these wonderful characters.

Rating: 4/5

Until next time!
Swords are for fighting,

Stephenie Meyer's Releasing a New Book!

I am so excited right now! Stephenie Meyer is releasing a new book! How awesome is that? Here's the story from stepheniemeyer.com:


Surprise!

I have a new book coming out. It's called The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner. Well, it's more of a novella than an actual book—my version of a short story.

Actually, this has been a surprise to me, too. The reason why it's a surprise was that I never intended to publish this story as a stand-alone book. I began this story a long time ago—before Twilight was even released. Back then I was just editing Eclipse, and in the thick of my vampire world. I was thinking a lot about the newborns, imagining their side of the story, and one thing led to another. I started writing from Bree's perspective about those final days, and what it was like to be a newborn.

This story was something that I worked on off and on for a while, just for fun, in between the times I was writing or editing other Twilight novels. Later, when the concept for The Twilight Saga: The Official Guide came up, I thought that might be a good place for Bree. Her story is a nice complement to Eclipse; it explains a lot of the things that Bella never knew. So I dusted it off and finished it up for placement in the Guide.

At the same time, it came in handy for the Eclipse film. Melissa (Rosenberg, the screenwriter) had a ton of questions about what exactly was going on in Seattle, how Victoria managed things, what Riley was like, etc. I let her read what I had then, and later gave the whole thing to the director, David Slade. David asked if Xavier, Bryce, and Jodelle (Riley, Victoria, and Bree) could read it as well, so all the parties involved would end up having a really strong foundation for their characters before the cameras started rolling. I was pleased that this side of the story would make it into the film and was looking forward to including it in the Guide.


(Keeping it confidential: Here is Jodelle next to the bucket of waterlogged ashes that were once the pages of her copy of the Bree manuscript.)

Then I got the news: my "short story" was nearly 200 pages long when typeset. It was too long to fit into the Guide—without ending up with a tome as heavy as the Oxford English Dictionary. My publisher approached me with the idea of releasing the Bree story on its own. One of the major benefits of this plan was that it would be out before the movie, so people would get to know Bree before they saw her in the film. That made sense to me, and we decided to go ahead with it.

There was one thing I asked for: since this story had always been an extra for me, and was meant to be released with the Guide, I wanted to be able to offer it to my fans for free. You all have bought a ton of my books, and I wanted to give you this story as a gift. My publisher was awesome and embraced this idea. We still wanted to also produce a physical book with a cool cover (see below) that you can add to your set if you like, but starting at noon on June 7th until July 5th, it will also be available online at www.breetanner.com.


One other aspect of this release is the plan to give a more important gift to people who really need it. One dollar of each book purchased in the US from the first printing will be donated to the American Red Cross for their relief efforts in Haiti and Chile and other parts of the world where people are in great need. We're going to have an option online as well, so you can choose to make a donation if you want when you read the story online. I hope you will. I think that we can really help a lot of people with this.

I really hope you all enjoy this story. I had a blast writing it. I'm glad that after all this time cooling her heels in my files, Bree finally gets her chance to shine.

Thanks for all the support,

Steph

Hopefully this isn't an April Fool's joke

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Strange Angels (Strange Angels #1) by Lili St. Crow

Description from Goodreads:

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)
Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

Review:

Strange Angels is a fun start to a series. It is full of action, violence, mystery, and some gore is thrown in there along with the supernatural world full of zombies, werewolves, vampires, and more. While I was reading it, it reminded me of the show Supernatural.

The main character, Dru, is one tough chick who can be a little sarcastic at times. I like that she can be tough but also find the time to cry. I mean the situations she gets in would make any sane person a little emotional afterwards. Sure she can fight off a zombie (who happens to be her dad) or a giant burning dog, but she doesn't keep her emotions bottled up inside.

Dru's new found friend, Graves, has got to be the nicest guy in world. Right off the bat, he is nice to Dru even though she is the new girl. When he sees her sitting in the mall upset, he not only buys her food on more than one occasion, but also offers her a place to stay when she tells him she can't go home. The only problem I had with Graves was how easily he accepts the supernatural world. Maybe it's just the way he is, but would most people not freak out when they get bit by a werewolf? I think not. If it was me, I would totally freak out! I mean if a freakin' werewolf just bit me, I wouldn't have a cool attitude about it. I would be hysterical. That being said, Graves is probably the best friend a girl could have.

I must admit that although it started off with a bang, the beginning of the book did not capture my attention too much. That being said, it ended up catching my attention again about halfway through. I will definitely be reading the next book in this series.

Rating: 3.5/5

Books in the Strange Angels series:

1. Strange Angels
2. Betrayals
3. Jealousy

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper

Description from Goodreads:

Well, if pirates are bad, And vampires are worse, Then I pray that as long as I be That though I sing of Vampirates I never one shall see.Twins, Connor and Grace, never dreamed that there was any truth to the Vampirate shanty their father sang to them before he died, but that was before the two were shipwrecked and separated from each other.For Connor, who is taken aboard a pirate ship, there's the chance to learn to swordfight, but for Grace, aboard a mysterious ship of vampire pirates, the danger is great.The twins want more than anything to find each other, but their time is limited and they're an ocean apart.

Review:
The first installment in the Vampirates series was completely enjoyable. Vampires and Pirates are two of my favorite things, so putting them together was pure genius. It was a quick read that completely captured my attention. I loved the original storyline, and the shanty is definitely catchy. It has been floating around in my head for days now!

I found the main characters, Connor and Grace, to be lovable, and the bond that they share is sweet. I loved the mysteriousness of the Vampirate ship even while Grace was aboard it. I especially liked the vampirate, Lorcan because he genuinely cares about Grace, and I liked how he took it upon himself to protect her. The only down side is that I would have liked to learn more about the Vampirates and their mysterious captain, but maybe that will appear in future books. I have already started the second book in the series, Tide of Terror, and so far not much on the Vampirates side of things, but hopefully that will change soon.

Rating:4/5

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme where I share all the really cool things I received in my mailbox!


Here is what I received this week:

Borrowed:

• The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Won:

• The Last Song from Smart Girls Read

Bought:

• Stargazer by Claudia Gray

Swords are for fighting,

Blog Awards (2)

I have been given two more awards recently!

The first award is the Humane Award given to me by both Larissa from Larissa's Life and Jennifer from Reading with Tequila. Thanks so much to the both of you!

This award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendship through the blog world.

Rule: Nominate 5 bloggers you feel deserve the Humane Award.

1. Juju at Tales of whimsy



2. Kristin at Kristin Creative



3. Christina T at Reading Extensively



4. Lori at Escape Between the Pages



5. Jan von Harz at Eating Y.A. Books

The other award I was given is the Over the Top Award! This award was given to me by Anne over at Potter, Percy & I. Thank you!

Rules: Answer the following questions with Single Word answers then pass this along to 5 other bloggers.

Your cell phone? Impression
Your hair? layered
Your mother? mom
Your father? fishing
Your favorite food? mint-chocolate-anything
Your dream last night? accidents
Your favorite drink? sweet tea
Your dream/goal? veterinarian
What room are you in? bedroom

Your hobby? horseback riding
Your fear? loneliness
Where do you want to be in 6 years? vet school
Where were you last night? cousins
Something that you aren't? outgoing
Muffins? Chocolate
Wish list item? apartment
Where did you grow up? California

Last thing you did? ate
Your TV? small
Your pets? lovable
Friends? everything
Your mood? tired
Missing someone? always
Vehicle? focus
Something you aren't wearing? socks
Your favorite store? Borders
Your favorite color? green
When was the last time you laughed? yesterday
Last time you cried? Monday
Your best friend? awesome
One place you go to over and over again? movies
Facebook? definitely
Favorite place to eat? panda express

I know some of these weren't one word answers, but I don't care :)

Over the Top Bloggers:

1. Larissa at Larissa's Life



2. Roxanne at Fang-tastic Books



3. Jennifer at The Introverted Reader



4. Reggie at The Undercover Book Lover



5. Kari at A Good Addiction

Thanks again!

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

This book contains both Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass:



Alice's Adventures in Wonderland:
Summary from Amazon:
Bored on a hot afternoon, Alice follows a White Rabbit down a rabbit-hole without giving a thought about how she might get out. And so she tumbles into Wonderland: where animals answer back, a baby turns into a pig, time stands still at a disorderly tea party, croquet is played with hedgehogs and flamingos, and the Mock Turtle and Gryphon dance the Lobster Quadrille. In a land in which nothing is as it seems and cakes, potions and mushrooms can make her shrink to ten inches or grow to the size of a house, will Alice be able to find her way home again?

Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There:
Summary from Amazon:


The adventures of Alice continue as she crosses into the Looking-Glass world and assumes her place as a player in a vast and fantastical chessgame, where she encounters, among others, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Walrus and the Carpenter, Humpty Dumpty, and a cast of others who confuse, amuse and confound Alice as she persists onward to her eventual crowning as a Queen in the eighth square.



Review:

This is one of the strangest books I have ever read. It was extremely weird, but weird in a good way. The storyline was indeed "curious" and if you can get past the weirdness then you can enjoy it. At times I could get past the strange aspects of these stories, but other times I thought it was a bit too ridiculous and confusing to say the least. A few times, I had to read a sentence more than once to fully grasp its meaning. There is not really any plot to this book, but I can see how it may be a fun book to read to kids.

Definitely not my favorite books, but I did enjoy Alice's Adventures in Wonderland more than Through the Looking Glass. I'm not going to say don't read this because I know a great deal of people enjoy this classic...it's just that I didn't find it all that great. Nevertheless, if you find the time, pick it up if you want to. It's a quick read and you can make your own judgment about it.

Rating:2/5

Thank for reading!

I'm sure you all know this by now, but...

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Summary from Goodreads:
Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school...again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Review:
The first book in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series, The Lightning Thief, was definitely a fun and easy read. Rick Riordan definitely came up with an interesting story line. I thought it was clever that demigods are dyslexic and have ADHD because they are programmed to read ancient Greek and fight. I liked the idea of the Greek gods being located in the western hemisphere. I thought it was clever how Riordan incorporated Greek gods into the modern world. I especially liked when he had the main characters visit places that I have been to (like the Gateway Arch, Vegas, and Los Angeles). The Lightning Thief is certainly a great start to a series. At times I was a little bored because I could not get into the story, but I will not give up on this series. If want something fun to read, then I definitely recommend it. I think that 8-12 year olds will enjoy it a great deal.

Rating: 3.5/5

Short review, but that is all I have to say...

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme where I share all the really cool things I received in my mailbox!

Borrowed-
Dark Visions by L. J. Smith

Won-

I,Q by Roland Smith from A Patchwork of Books

Bought-

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

ttfn by Lauren Myracle

3-disc special edition New Moon DVD!!!

Swords are for fighting,

Spring Break Reading Challenge #10

For today's activity, I needed to find 5 books that are either about or take place in a winter wonderland. Here is what I found...

1. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Summary from Goodreads: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

2. The Call of the Wild by Jack London

Summary from Goodreads: An unusual dog, part St. Bernard, part Scotch shepherd, is forcibly taken to Alaska where he eventually becomes leader of a wolf pack.

3. Into the Wild by John Krakauer

Summary from Goodreads: What would possess a gifted young man recently graduated from college to literally walk away from his life? Noted outdoor writer and mountaineer Jon Krakauer tackles that question in his reporting on Chris McCandless, whose emaciated body was found in an abandoned bus in the Alaskan wilderness in 1992.
Described by friends and relatives as smart, literate, compassionate, and funny, did McCandless simply read too much Thoreau and Jack London and lose sight of the dangers of heading into the wilderness alone? Krakauer, whose own adventures have taken him to the perilous heights of Everest, provides some answers by exploring the pull the outdoors, seductive yet often dangerous, has had on his own life.

4. Xombies: Apocalypse Blues by Walter Greatshell

Summary from Goodreads: When the Agent X plague struck, it infected women first, turning them into mindless killers intent only on creating an army of "Xombies" by spreading their disease.

Running for her life, seventeen-year-old Lulu is rescued by the father she has never known and taken aboard a refitted nuclear submarine that has one mission: to save a little bit of humanity.


(Takes place in the frozen north)




5. Frozen Fire by Tim Bowler

Summary from Tim Bowler's website: When Dusty gets the strange phone call on a snowy winter's night, she knows she can't ignore it. The boy on the other end of the line says he's dying. That's bad enough - but the fact that he seems to know something about the disappearance of her brother, Josh, means that Dusty must find the boy no matter what.

But when she does finally meet him, there's something strange and haunting about him. He seems to be made of snow and fire, he can see people's thoughts, and feels everything - from chilling ice to white-hot pain...and he seems to have a hold over everyone he meets.

There's talk in the town - talk of the boy's past and his ability to hurt people. Lynch mobs are baying for blood. Dusty must help the boy and find out what happened to Josh. But when the mob turns on her, it is she, and not the boy, who is in the gravest danger...

Swords are for fighting,

Spring Break Reading Challenge #9: What Floats Your Boat?

For today's activity, I have to create a post about my favorite genre. Although I tend to read all sorts of genres, I would have to say that my favorite genre is paranormal/fantasy. I love books that have a mysterious, unknown world tied to it. I love when characters realize that the world around them is not at all like they thought it was. When fairy tales and horror stories become reality. I love books with vampires, werewolves, shape-shifters, fairies, witches, zombies...I think you've got it.

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Summary from Amazon:
Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He’s strong and silent…and dead.

All over the country, a strange phenomenon is happening. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same—they stutter, and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn’t want them.

Fitting in is hard enough when you don’t have the look or attitude, but when almost everyone else is alive and you’re not, it’s close to impossible. The kids at Oakvale High don’t want to take classes or eat in the cafeteria next to someone who isn’t breathing. And there are no laws that exist to protect the differently biotic from the people who want them to disappear—for good.

With her pale skin and Goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead kids. Not her best friend, Margi, whose fear of the differently biotic is deeply rooted in guilt over the past. And especially not her neighbor, Adam, the star of the football team. Adam has just realized his feelings for Phoebe run much deeper than just friendship. He would do anything for her, but what if protecting Tommy is the one thing that would make her happy?

Review:

The zombies in Generation Dead are like no other. Daniel Waters did an amazing job writing an original zombie story. It is definitely a clever story, and I am intrigued to see where Daniel Waters takes it. The main character, Phoebe, is a very interesting individual who is surprisingly open minded for a teenager. I could not imagine crushing on a zombie, but she somehow manages it. Adam was definitely my favorite character because he cares for Phoebe so much that it hurts him in the end. I look forward to reading the sequel, Kiss of Life.

Generation Dead is by no means only a love story between a zombie and a girl. In fact, it barely touches that subject. It explores issues of hatred towards the "differently biotic."

Overall, Generation Dead, is a fun and witty story with a serious undertone. The ending left me a bit sad, but there is always Kiss of Life to look forward to.

Rating: 4/5

Thanks for reading and a big welcome to my new followers!

Swords are for fighting,

Mega International Awesome, amazing, and fantastic YA Box Contest!

The Bookologist is having an AMAZING giveaway!!!!

Look at all those amazing books!!!! What are you waiting for? Head over to The Bookologist and enter now! Deadline is April 26th.

Swords are for fighting,

Blog Awards!

Wow this is the first time I've received a blog award, and I received two!!! So excited. Thanks goes to Christina T over at Reading Extensively.


The first award Christina gave me is the Honest Scrap Award:

So for this award I have to share ten things about myself and then pass it on to ten other bloggers. Here are my ten things about myself:

1. I want to learn how to play the piano.
2. I love animals, which is one of the reasons I want to be a vet.

3. I hate grape flavored candy.

4. I sing in the car ALL THE TIME even though I'm not a good singer.

5. I really want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.

6. I am the one of the shortest people in my family, which sucks at times.

7. I have three pets: My dog, Koda, who is a Boxer and LOVES to play. He is pretty much my baby. I love him. My horse, Libby, who is an Arab-cross. She is pretty shy when it comes to strangers, and she doesn't like men at all. I love her though even though she can get moody. Last but not least is my snake named Legolas (I know bad joke). He is a beautiful Ball Python that I've had for over 6 years now.

8. My favorite color is green.

9. I want to travel the world one day. I love travelling and have travelled all over the U.S., but the only other country I've visited is Mexico. Luckily, this summer, I will be going to Canada! I can't wait!
10. I love mint chocolate chip ice cream!

I am going to pass this award to:

1. Page Turners

2. There's A Book

3. Reading With Tequila

4. Delightful Reviews

5. A Bookful of Thoughts

6. Inside of a Dog

7. What Book Is That?
8. I Heart Monster

9. Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks

10. Dollycas's Thoughts

The next award I received from Christina is the Beautiful Blogger Award!

These are the rules for the Beautiful Blogger Award:
1.Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
2.Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic.
3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won
4.State 7 Things about yourself!

7 things about myself:

1. I am painfully shy when you first meet me, but once I get to know you, I am loud.

2. I have insomnia. Some nights, I can't sleep at all.

3. I love going to the beach! Whenever I go, I cannot stay out of the water.

4. I love to watch zombie movies. I find them hilarious.

5. I will eat pretty much anything at least once.

6. I am addicted to McDonald's Sweet Tea

7. Spring is my favorite season.

I would like to pass the Beautiful Blogger Award to the following blogs:

1. La Femme Readers

2. Wastepaper Prose

3. Book Chick City

4. The Story Siren

5. Bookworming in the 21st Century

6. Princess Bookie

7. The Neverending Shelf

8. The Bookologist

9. Mindful Musings

10. Just Blinded Book Reviews

11. Books At Midnight

12. Teens Read and Write

13. Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm

14. Parajunkee's View

15. Ellz Readz

Thanks for the awards!

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Summary from Goodreads:

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

Review:

I don't know where to start. I absolutely loved this book! For me, there were not any negative aspects of Beautiful Creatures. It is a beautiful, Gothic story, and I loved that it was written in the guy's point of view. Ethan Wate is definitely an interesting individual. I loved being able to get in his head. I loved the mystery the book held. I love that even though this book is a whopping 576 pages long. I never wanted to put it down! I also love the southern culture and superstitions the people in Gatlin County held.

The ending was amazing! I won't say much about it because I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but it was great! The last sentence was eerily captivating. The authors definitely set it up for a sequel, but at the same time, did not leave you hanging. I cannot wait to see where these ladies take the story.

Which brings us to the authors....I do not know how Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl managed to write a beautifully written book together, but somehow they did! I honestly cannot imagine how two authors wrote this story, but they did it and, for that, they are amazing!

I definitely recommend this book!

Rating: 5/5

Swords are for fighting,

Spring Break Reading Challenge #6: Create-a-Cover

Today's Spring Break Reading Challenge was so much fun! Create a book cover!
Here are the guidelines for today's challenge:

1 – Go to “Fake Name Generator” The name that appears is your author name.
2 – Go to “Random Word Generator” The word listed under “Random Verb” is your title.
3 – Go to “FlickrCC” Type your title into the search box. The first photo that contains a person is your cover.
4 – Use Picnik, or something similar to put it all together. Be sure to crop and/or zoom in.
In terms of the activity for the Reading Challenge, I’m asking the participants to create the cover and write a short synopsis to go along with it. Check out my cover from the Holiday Break Reading Challenge for an example.





Here is mine!

Jude (AKA the girl with the cigarette) has a bad reputation, and she likes it that way. She doesn't care about school, hence why she constantly ditches. She doesn't care about her parents because, frankly, they don't care about her. She's just trying to get through high school, so she can leave her "sucky" life behind and start over somewhere new. But what happens when she meets Trevor, the new kid with a bad reputation of his own...

Waiting on Wednesday (3)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating:








This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Burned by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Publication Date: April 27, 2010

Summary from Goodreads:
When friends stop trusting each other, Darkness is there to fan the
flames....

Things have turned black at the House of Night. Zoey Redbird's soul has
shattered. With everything she's ever stood for falling apart, and a
broken heart making her want to stay in the Otherworld forever, Zoey's
fading fast. It's seeming more and more doubtful that she will be able
pull herself back together in time to rejoin her friends and set the
world to rights. As the only living person who can reach her, Stark must
find a way to get to her. But how? He will have to die to do so, the
Vampire High Council stipulates. And then Zoey will give up for sure.
There are only 7 days left...

Enter BFF Stevie Rae. She wants to help Z but she has massive problems
of her own. The rogue Red Fledglings are acting up, and this time not
even Stevie Rae can protect them from the consequences. Her kinda
boyfriend, Dallas, is sweet but too nosy for his own good. The truth
is, Stevie Rae's hiding a secret that might be the key to getting Zoey
home but also threatens to explode her whole world.

In the middle of the whole mess is Aphrodite: ex-Fledgling, trust-fund
baby, total hag from Hell (and proud of it). She's always been blessed
(if you could call it that) with visions that can reveal the future, but
now it seems Nyx has decided to speak through her with the goddess's own
voice, whether she wants it or not. Aphrodite's loyalty can swing a lot
of different ways, but right now Zoey's fate hangs in the balance.

Three girls... playing with fire... if they don't watch out, everyone
will get Burned.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's Teaser comes from page 1 of Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann:

"They had kept calm that morning when they found their shepherd lying there so unusually cold and lifeless, and were extremely proud of it. In the first flush of alarm, naturally there had been a few frantic cries of "Who's going to bring us hay now?" and "A wolf! There's a wolf about!," but Miss Maple had been quick to quell any panic."

Just started this book and it is entertaining to say the least. I look forward to finishing it!

Swords are for fighting,

Spring Break Reading Challenge #5- Obstacles

I am a little behind on the Spring Break Reading Challenge, but better late than never!

Spring Break Reading Challenge #5

There are many things that prevent us from doing some of the things we want to. For instance, I really want to read this week, but we recently purchased a new Chihuahua puppy so a lot of my time is going to be focused on watching her to make sure she doesn't have "accidents" on the carpet. I've never crate trained or house trained a puppy before so I'm really nervous about it. I feel like I'm going to have to watch her like a hawk so I she doesn't "go" on the carpet.

For today's Activity, 1) create a blog post talking about the things that prevent you from getting things done. It could be reading, updating your blog, or anything else you try to do and 2) can you come up with a plan to get past your obstacle?



So many things keep me from getting things done that I want to get done. First, I am a full time student, so school is one of my top priorities. I would love to have more time to update my blog, but school usually gets in the way. Sometimes I blog when I shouldn't. For example, I have finals this week and I should be studying, but I am on here blogging anyways.

Another thing that prevents me from getting things done is the Internet. I seem to always find myself on Facebook, checking my email, checking blog updates, or playing a game online. I should be doing more important things.

Other times, life just gets in the way, which is completely understandable. I have a dog that needs my attention. I spend a good portion of my days in my car driving all over the place to get to my daily obligations. Sometimes there is just not enough time in the day.

I would love to have more time to read, update my blog, exercise, and other things. Since my ultimate plan of not sleeping ever is not an option, I think I will try to spend less time doing pointless things on the Internet. I think if I limit my time on the computer, I will have more time to do other things.

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme where I share all the really cool things I received in my mailbox!

Won-

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert from Red House Books

Never Blame the Umpire by Gene Fehler from Goodreads

A Season of Eden by J.M. Warwick from @jenniferlaurens

Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione from Book Soulmates

Borrowed-

Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow

Vampirates: Tide of Terror by Justin Somper

My book pile is growing! I need to start reading more!

Swords are for fighting,

Eclipse Trailer!!!

Yay! It is finally here! Now I can watch it over and over.

I already miss the old Victoria, but what can I do? Still a great trailer, but I have to say that I don't like this trailer as much as I liked the New Moon Trailer.

What do you think?

If you don't like Twilight, just ignore me.

Swords are for fighting,

Eclipse Teaser

I just couldn't resist :)



I have seriously watched this at least ten times! I need more!

Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (2)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating:

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Publication Date: July 20, 2010

Summary from Goodreads:
In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

I am so excited for Linger! I absolutely loved Shiver. It was such a sweet story. I loved the chemistry between Sam and Grace. I can't wait to see what Linger brings! Now I just have to wait for July...

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

•Grab your current read


•Open to a random page


•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)



•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser from page 69 of Generation Dead by Daniel Waters:

"The sentiment instantly brought Tommy to mind. When she switched off the light she imagined his faintly glowing eyes in the darkness of her room, and this time she had no fear at all."

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Oxygen by Carol Cassella

Summary from Goodreads:
With the compassion of Jodi Picoult and the medical realism of Atul Gawande, Oxygen is a riveting new novel by a real-life anesthesiologist, an intimate story of relationships and family that collides with a high-stakes medical drama.

Dr. Marie Heaton is an anesthesiologist at the height of her profession. She has worked, lived and breathed her career since medical school, and she now practices at a top Seattle hospital. Marie has carefully constructed and constricted her life according to empirical truths, to the science and art of medicine. But when her tried-and-true formula suddenly deserts her during a routine surgery, she must explain the nightmarish operating room disaster and face the resulting malpractice suit. Marie's best friend, colleague and former lover, Dr. Joe Hillary, becomes her closest confidante as she twists through depositions, accusations and a remorseful preoccupation with the mother of the patient in question. As she struggles to salvage her career and reputation, Marie must face hard truths about the path she's chosen, the bridges she's burned and the colleagues and superiors she's mistaken for friends.

A quieter crisis is simultaneously unfolding within Marie's family. Her aging father is losing his sight and approaching an awkward dependency on Marie and her sister, Lori. But Lori has taken a more traditional path than Marie and is busy raising a family. Although Marie has been estranged from her Texas roots for decades, the ultimate responsibility for their father's care is falling on her.

As her carefully structured life begins to collapse, Marie confronts questions of love and betrayal, family bonds and the price of her own choices. Set against the natural splendor of Seattle, and inside the closed vaults of hospital operating rooms, Oxygen climaxes in a final twist that is as heartrending as it is redeeming.

I was a little weary when I first picked up Oxygen. A story about an anesthesiologist? Definitely not my usual read, but I was pleasantly surprised. Oxygen was a great read! It reminded me of a hospital drama television show like Grey's Anatomy. The reader can most certainly tell that a doctor wrote this book. The medical terminology, equipment, procedures, and anything else medical related seemed extremely accurate and realistic to me.

Marie is an anesthesiologist who has a young child die on the operating child causing her to face a malpractice suit. Marie ends up beating herself up for this disastrous situation. She goes through each step she took over and over in her head trying to determine where she went wrong. The malpractice suit drags on for months with no settlement in sight, which is obviously a extremely stressful situation to be put in.

Through these hardships, Marie discovers who her true friends are among her colleagues as she tries to save her reputation and her career, which has been her number one priority since medical school. Through all of these struggles, Marie ends up spending more time with her former lover, best friend, and colleague, Dr. Joe Hillary. I must say that I really liked Joe's personality. He never really seemed like the serious, mature doctor type. He was kind of goofy in a good way.

Through the course of the book, Marie confronts a roller coaster of emotions from love to betrayal. I was completely caught off guard by the twist towards the end. I just did not see it coming! Definitely not predictable (at least for me).

I enjoyed Oxygen. It was well written and provided a great story. I thought the characters were well developed, and it seemed realistic! I could see this story happening in the real world, but what do I know about the life of a doctor? Definitely would recommend this book to any adult reader.

Rating: 4.5/5

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. It is a weekly meme where I share all the really cool things I received in my mailbox!

Won-

The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews from Dollycas's Thoughts

My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent from Novel Novice

Bought-

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Borrowed-

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters

Yay for books!

Swords are for fighting,

Spring Break Reading Challenge!

When: March 12th- March 21st

Fun activities and prizes daily! What are you waiting for? Go sign up now!

Waiting on Wednesday...

Since this is my first Waiting on Wednesday here at Swords for Fighting, I thought I would start off big.



So this week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Publication Date: August 24th

Summary from Goodreads:
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she’s made it out of the bloody arena alive, she’s still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what’s worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss’s family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins’s groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

I am so excited for the third book in the Hunger Games series! After I finished Catching Fire, I was left wanting more. I have been not so patiently waiting for the third book to find out what happens! August seems like such a long way from now :(

Oh, just so you know...I am Team Gale. I have nothing against Peeta. In fact, I like Peeta a lot, but Gale has this mysterious air about him that I love.

What are your thoughts? Are you Team Gale or Team Peeta? Or can you not decide/ don't care?

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

Summary from Goodreads.com:
An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

Dear John is a beautiful story all around. Like other books by Nicholas Sparks, there is no happy ending for John and Savannah.

When I first started reading Dear John, I had low expectations. I saw the movie before I read the book, and I honestly did not like the movie. I hated how it ended. I didn't like how some things just didn't add up in the movie, so of course I had to go out and buy the book to see what really happened and what was going on in the heads of the characters.

The book was an easy read. It is told in John's point of view and is split into three parts. I found myself immersed in John's life. I fell a little bit in love with John. When he was hurting, I found myself wishing I could comfort him. Unlike the movie, the book gave me insight to why Savannah did what she did, and I didn't hate her like I did in the second half of the movie. Even though Savannah and John do not end up together (as you find out in the first pages of the book), I found this to be one of the best love stories I've ever read. I loved the decision that John made in the end! Although it did not give him his happy ending, it made the person he loves happy.

One of the things I did not like were the 'war' scenes. Maybe it is just me, but I find reading about war boring. Those few 'war' scenes had me putting down the book for a while. Other than that, a great read that I would recommend to anyone!

Rating: 3.5/5

On a side note....I have some (3) followers now! I'm so excited!!! Thanks for following!

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along, do the following:

• Grab your current read



• Open to a random page



• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)



• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here's my teaser from page 93 of Dear John by Nicholas Sparks:

"I wanted to believe it was an omen, though of what, I wasn't sure. Instead, all I could do was replay Savannah's gentle kiss on my cheek for the hundredth time and wonder how I could be falling for a girl that I'd met only the day before."

Thanks for reading!

Oh, and swords are for fighting,