Spooky Swap Package

This is what Katie received from the Spooky Swap.

Spooky Swap Package

This is the package Jasmine received:

I received my package today from Jeremy from Novel Thoughts. I'm so happy with everything! He did such an awesome job!

Here is what I got:

The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening
The Ghost Hunter's Handbook
The Witch's Handbook
A 4 pack of scary movies
Halloween Stickers
2 cute Halloween bowls
A Halloween pail
Dark Chocolate Raisinets
Dark Chocolate Reese's 
And cute pumpkin garland

Thanks again, Jeremy!  :)

Spooky Swap Package

This is the package Jacinda received:

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent (on my TBR list and now I own a copy!)
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love by a ton of great YA authors  (can't wait to read this one!)
2 bags of caramel apple candy corn, YUM!
Caramels, also YUM!
and a candle that smells wonderful!

Scott Westerfeld Signing!

This past week I had the opportunity to go to a Scott Westerfeld signing. I've been reading his books for YEARS, so the opportunity to finally meet him was amazing. So many people came to see him, and there were even steampunk cosplayers! His wife, Justine Larbalestier, was also their and she was nice enough to sign all of her books that I brought, AND pose for a picture!

Here's a video from my friend Vania of VLC Media about both signings Scott did in Atlanta this weekend:



I had an extra copy of Justine's first book Magic or Madness that I'll be giving away soon, so keep watching for that.
(I know I have a TON of books I need to give away, but I need to get a job so I can pay for shipping.)

Spooky Swap

Jo White got her package, and doesn't have her own blog to post, so here's her post!

"I received my package from Misha...what a surprize it came all the way from India.

She sent a beautiful scarf, book, gorgeous beaded mirror and a couple of bracelets that actually are worn on their feet. How cool is that! She said they don't celebrate Halloween in India, but they do have Halloween parties."

Spooky Swap

Jeremy from Novel Thoughts got his spooky swap package, but his computer is broken, so I'm posting a picture of what he got in the mail here.

Construction

Yes, I have a new blog layout. Yes, I know the page buttons aren't centered. Yes, it bugs an OCD person like me. Thank you guys for the emails telling me that they were off! Jessica's working on it, and it should be fixed by the end of the week! 

A big thank you to Jessica for the new layout. I think it looks great, don't you? 

If you want some work done on your blog (buttons, headers, whole layouts) check her out! She's super easy to work with. She didn't even kill me when I told her to make changes. I knew she wanted to though. She probably still does. 

New Cover Alert! Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins

I have this book sitting in my TBR pile just itching to be read, and now the amazing cover makes me want to read it even more! I love it even more than the cover for Hex Hall.

I also have an extra ARC of Demonglass to give away, so keep your eyes out in the coming months!

Cover Alert! Huntress by Malinda Lo

I loved Ash, and can't wait for the prequel! I had no expectations for the cover of Huntress, but even if I did, this one would have blown them out of the water! Look how amazing it is!

Also , it gets a bajillion bonus points for having a person of color on the cover. Let me know what you think!

The Official Spooky Swap Package Thread!

The packages are starting to be sent out for the Spooky Swap, so here's a linky where you can post a link to your blog so everyone can see what you got! If you don't have a blog where you can post this, then you can email pictures and a post to Jessica or myself and we'll post them.

Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

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.


If you liked Beautiful Creatures, and are wondering if book 2 can even compare to the first, don't worry. It's just as good, if not better, than BC.
This book is dark, but I guess you could figure that out by the title. I honestly didn't know what to expect when going into it, and that was a very good thing. The atmosphere is the same as the first book, with an underlining feeling of unrest. There are lots of twists and turns, and many questions from the first book are answered. Kami and Margie are the absolute best when it comes to prose and descriptions. I love the way they can weave words and make not only the story fantastic, but the way it's told as well. Some new characters are introduced, and old favorites return. (Ridley FTW) Every character is multi-dimensional, and you feel as if you could actually meet them. Beautiful Darkness drops tomorrow, October 12, and book three can't come fast enough. 


5/5

My Spooky Swap Package!

I got my Spooky Swap package from Pam at Bookalicio.us! Here's what she sent me:

• A Halloween clock that plays spooky sounds every hour
• The Shining (book)
• The Shining (movie)
• Smarties candy dispensers in Halloween shapes

Thank you so much Pam! I've read The Shining, but didn't own a copy, and I've never seen the original movie (just the made for tv remake). 

Review: Dark Song by Gail Giles

Mark said he heard the dark song when he creeped houses. The song the predator's heart sings when it hears the heart of the prey. I heard it now. Mark said it had always been in me. Lurking. Waiting for me to hear.
Ames is not the person she was a few months ago. Her father lost his job, and her family is crumbling apart. Now, all she has is Marc. Marc, who loves her more than anything. Marc, who owns a gun collection. And he'll stop at nothing--even using his guns--to get what he wants. Ames feels her parents have betrayed her with their lies and self-absorption, but is she prepared to make the ultimate betrayal against them?

This is another review by my friend Katie.


This was definitely an odd book. The  story did not go the way that you would think it was from reading the synopsis. It seems like the story is about a girl who is caught in a dangerous and abusive relationship. However, Marc is not even introduced until you’re 160 pages in. I think that the story would have been better if more of the book focused on the relationship between Ames and Marc. Their relationship develops too quickly too be realistic.
I thought that that this book had a dissatisfying conclusion. There was no true big final conflict. I thought that it just sort of fizzled out. I wanted some danger and suspense and it just didn’t happen. The ending is probably the most realistic thing about the book (i.e. what would happen in real life). However, this is a book and books should have some sort of climax.
Probably the best thing about this book is that it is a really fast read. The main thing that gets you through the slow start is waiting for the main character to meet Marc. You’re pretty much waiting on the book to start for the first 160 pages.
Overall, I didn’t really enjoy this book. It’s good for a library read, but I wouldn’t purchase it.

1/5