Contest Time!

Angela at DarkFaerieTales is having an AWESOME Valentine's Day contest here, so go enter. There are a LOT of books up for grabs.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.


This book caught me by surprise. I loved the cover, and the synopsis sounded alright, so I was anticipating it for a while. When I started reading, it was a little overwhelming, just because you're dropped right into the story, and there isn't a lot of back story, because most of it is revealed later. It took me a few pages to get into it, but once I did, I couldn't stop. Oh, and let me just say, The Dark Divine has one of the best first pages I have ever read in a book. I had no idea where the story was headed, and the characters are well developed and believable. The book does have a satisfying ending, but it also leaves a little wiggle room for a sequel, although I hope that it's just a standalone. I think it just works better that way.

Recommended if you like Shiver, Blood and Chocolate, Beautiful Creatures

Kami Garcia and Margie Stohl Signing

This is going to be mostly a big picspam, but I'll add commentary and captions to the pictures.















The crowd was bigger than I expected. They had to make extra room because of the number of people that showed up!



Jackson Pearce (author of As You Wish and the upcoming Sisters Red) was there, and she read the clue for the BC Scavenger Hunt.



Margie reading from my copy!



Kami talking about the upcoming BC movie.



Talking about favorite characters.
Margie: Macon
Kami: Amma






This was an awesome signing, and if you ever have a chance to see them on tour, I'd HIGHLY recommend it.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Synopsis:
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:
Beautiful Creatures is my favorite book of 2010 so far. I could just stop the review right now and say, "Go read it!", but I wont.
The authors really captured the feel of a small, southern town. The characters are all important, and none of the characters are overshadowed by the two main characters. I feel that this is a huge accomplishment for any book. They're believable, lovable, and some are loathable. The book is long - almost 600 pages - but never drags. The pacing is great, and there are surprises everywhere. I have nothing bad to say about it. :)

Recommended if you like To Kill a Mockingbird, Harry Potter, Shadowed Summer


I'm going to see the authors tomorrow, so I'll be posting pics soon. I'll probably tweet some too, so if you want to see them as I put them up, follow me. @Travis_Pearson

Contest

The Bookologist is having an awesome contest where you can choose a set of three books!
Go check it out here.

Blog Layout

So, I've noticed that my blog is very BLAND. Especially compared to most other book bloggers around here. So, if anyone wants to try their hand at designing a layout for me, email me at travisp1026@yahoo.com. I can't pay you (no money at the moment. sry) but I'll definitely let everyone know where the layout came from. So if you or anyone you know is interested, let me know!

Contest

Book Bound is having a best of YA 2009 contest!
I would list the prizes, but there are WAY too many to name.
So, go to the blog and check it out yourself. ;)

Contest!

Another contest going on is the Dark Divine Giveaway by Fire and Ice!
You can win a signed copy of TDD by Bree Despain, and a bottle of nail polish, or a Dark Divine inspired journal!
Go here to enter.

Contest!

Melissa from I Swim For Oceans is having an awesome contest. Prizes include: In My Father's House by Ann Rinaldi, Peace, Love, and Baby Ducks by Lauren Myracle, and a $25 Amazon gift card!

Here's the link: http://iswimforoceans.blogspot.com/2010/01/contest-timemy-birthday-bash-giveaway.html

What are you still reading this for? Go check it out!

Shadowed Summer by Saundra Mitchell

Boring and hot. That's Ondine, Louisiana in the summer time. Fourteen-year-old Iris and her friend Collette try to find some magic in an otherwise boring summer. But something does happen. A ghost appears. Seems something did happen in Ordine long ago. A teenager Elijah disappeared. Now Iris swears he's haunting her.

What do the others in her town know? Iris tries to find out the truth. But an even bigger question is why has Elijah decided to haunt her?

Review: Shadowed Summer was an awesome read. I was in the mood for a good mystery, and I'm glad I picked this one up, because I thought it was just a ghost story. It's interesting to have the book set in the rural south, and the author does an amazing job with the characters (dialogue, superstitions, etc). I live in the south so I can say that as a fact. =)
The book took a few interesting turns, and left me completely satisfied.

Recommended if you like ghost stories, mysteries, Ruined, Beautiful Creatures

Update

I've been a little MIA lately due to the holidays and just starting back to school, but I'll be back to posting regularly in a week or so.

Also, I'm going to a Beautiful Creatures signing on Jan. 23 in Georgia, so if you're going I'll see you there!