Bloggiesta!

Bloggiesta is an event where your goal is to improve your blog! You can find out all the details through the link.

Here are some of my goals/to-do list:

• Catch up on reviews
• Add reviews to goodreads/amazon
• update bookshelf on goodreads
• possibly mess around with redesigning my blog a bit
• clean up the sidebars
• participate in some of the mini-challenges
• schedule some posts
• update review policy
• clean up reader

I will probably be updating this post throughout the event by adding more things I want to do!

Anyone else participating?

Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (14)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Pegasus by Robin McKinley

Publication Date: November 2, 2010

Synopsis:

A gorgeously-written fantasy about the friendship between a princess and her pegasus

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 recently discovered this book, and it sounds really interesting.

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (14)

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 145 of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:

"The next day, Marcus, I decided something. I decided to find out how people at school might react if one of the students never came back."

I have been wanting to read this book for a while now. I've heard from many people that it is an amazing book, and I have not been disappointed so far.

Swords are for fighting,

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren where I share what books I got in the past week.

This is what I got this week:

Bought:

• Huge by Sasha Paley
• Flawless by Sara Shepard
• Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
• Burned by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Well, I went a little over a month without buying any books, but I could not stop myself anymore.

Swords are for fighting,

Review: Black Heart (Vampirates #4) by Justin Somper

Synopsis:



There's a new ship of vampirates roaming the seas, leaving a trail of fear and devastation in its wake. When a high-profile pirate is slain, the Pirate Federation takes decisive action and begins training up a ship of dedicated vampire hunters. The team will be led by newly appointed Captain, Cheng Li and will include pirate prodigy Connor Tempest.

Meanwhile, Connor's twin sister Grace enjoys a bittersweet reunion with their mother. Sally Tempest has some important and shocking news that will leave the twins facing a very uncertain future.

Review:


The fourth installment in the Vampirates series is just as good if not better than the previous book. This book is mainly about self-discovery for Connor and Grace, but mainly Grace because Connor is not yet ready to accept who he is. Grace, on the other hand, is completely ready to embrace who and what she is. Since the beginning of the series, Grace has always known where she belongs, and Black Heart only confirms this more. Connor, on the other hand, seems to have doubts where he wants to be. He knows he wants to be a pirate, but he does not know what type of pirate he wants to be. That is why he decides to join Cheng Li's crew.

I really enjoyed the little twist about the twins' past. I would not call it shocking because I kind of saw it coming. I also like Somper's take on vampires. I do not want to give anything away, but there is a certain ritual mentioned in the book that I thought was very original.

I found the "bad" vampirates, Jez and Johnny, to be really interesting. I do not think they are completely evil, so I am definitely curious where their paths will lead. The main villian, Sidorio, seems to have lost his touch, and he is not as evil as he used to be. I found him to have gone soft.

Like the other books, Black Heart does have a cliffhanger ending. I really want to know what will happen next. There are so many questions that have been left unanswered, so I am looking forward to reading the next book when it is released later this year.

Rating: 4.5/5


Swords are for fighting,

Waiting on Wednesday (13)...

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that I am eagerly anticipating.


This week's Waiting on Wednesday pick is:

Empire of the Night (Vampirates #5) by Justin Somper

Publication Date: August 24, 2010

Synopsis:

After the surprising revelation of the Tempest family history, twins Connor and Grace face a newly-defined future marked by their Vampirate roots. Meanwhile, Sidorio's evil Vampirate Empire continues its expansion, making it tragically apparent that no ship is safe. As for the pirates, they have a new mission: wipe out the vampirates.

There's a bloody battle brewing in the seas, and each crew will need all hands on deck. And, this time, Grace and Connor may find themselves fighting for their lives-or against each other.


You can probably tell I really enjoy this series. I recently finished the fourth book, and the review should be up tomorrow!

Swords are for fighting,

Teaser Tuesday (13)

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 27 of The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan:

"'Please, Gabry" is all he says. His voice is filled with such anguish that it slices into my heart. I glance at everyone else, their heads in their hands, their faces streaked with tears, their mouth's open, wailing."

I flew through the first book, The Forest of Hands and Teeth (review coming soon!). I cannot wait to finish this book! So far, it is amazing!


Swords are for fighting,