The Book I'm Most Grateful For

Beth Revis is having an awesome contest, and all you have to do is tell her what book you're most grateful for.




I'm most grateful for the Harry Potter books, because without them all of the other awesome books that are out now probably wouldn't be here.

Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

There are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life. But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

The Near Witch is one of those books that completely envelopes you from the beginning. The prose is perfect and the story is fantastic. I absolutely loved every aspect of this novel. The setting feels real, but at the same time it has a fairy tale vibe going on which suited the story perfectly. This is an outstanding debut novel and I'll definitely be reading anything else Victoria puts out!

5/5

Review: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

This thrilling sequel to the much-talked-about Nightshade begins just where it ended.Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemy, and she's certain her days are numbered. 

But then the Searchers make her an offer,one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack and the man she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive.

Short review: If you liked Nightshade, you'll LOVE the sequel.

I read this book in one sitting. It was so engrossing and action packed, even more so than the first book. It kind of reminded me of an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, in a good way. It's filled with loads of magic and fighting and plotting. I know everyone's always focused on "teams" and when it comes to Ren and Shay, I'm still Team Shay. Especially after this book. This one ends with another cliffhanger, but it's not quite as extreme as the ending of Nightshade. Overall I liked it better than Nightshade, and can't wait for book three!

Book Trailer: Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker

I love Melissa, and I can't wait to read this one!

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. And a strange collection of very curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here—one of whom was his own grandfather—were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

I was expecting this book to be creepy. It's not. Some of the pictures are, but when you take them in context with the book, they become less creepy. The idea of taking real pictures and writing a story around them is awesomely unique, and it adds a lot to the story. The story does drag in a few places, and the pictures are a nice diversion . The story is solid, but I felt that the main character talked and acted like he was a lot older than he should have considering his actual age in the book. The issues I had don't outweigh the positives, though. I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a different, unique read. 

4/5

Review: Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I've got one friend, do my job and try to avoid the Pop Cops. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? The only neck at risk is my own…until I accidentally start a rebellion and become the go-to girl to lead a revolution.

This book is complex. It's a little confusing to start (especially due to the fact that there isn't a map of Inside in the book) but as you read it gets easier to understand. The story follows the typical Dystopian formula, but that doesn't detract from the amazing setting and world building. The thing I liked about this book over a lot of the other Dystopians I've read is the fact that the main character isn't the only person getting things done. As the book progresses, you can sense the growing tension in all of the characters and the payoff is very satisfying. There's a tiny cliffhanger, but the sequel is already out, so no waiting!

Recommended if you like The Hunger Games, Divergent, Across the Universe

4/5

Book Trailer: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

I've got this book in my TBR pile, so whenever I get to it I'll have the review up. I just had to share the trailer with you guys because it's one of the best I've seen. What do you think?

Review: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken

Sydelle Mirabil is living proof that, with a single drop of rain, a life can be changed forever. Tucked away in the farthest reaches of the kingdom, her dusty village has suffered under the weight of a strangely persistent drought. That is, of course, until a wizard wanders into town and brings the rain with him. 

In return for this gift, Wayland North is offered any reward he desires—and no one is more surprised than Sydelle when, without any explanation, he chooses her. Taken from her home, Sydelle hardly needs encouragement to find reasons to dislike North. He drinks too much and bathes too little, and if that isn’t enough to drive her to madness, North rarely even uses the magic he takes such pride in possessing. Yet, it’s not long before she realizes there’s something strange about the wizard, who is as fiercely protective of her as he is secretive about a curse that turns his limbs a sinister shade of black and leaves him breathless with agony. Unfortunately, there is never a chance for her to seek answers. 

Along with the strangely powerful quakes and storms that trace their path across the kingdom, other wizards begin to take an inexplicable interest in her as well, resulting in a series of deadly duels. Against a backdrop of war and uncertainty, Sydelle is faced with the growing awareness that these events aren’t as random as she had believed—that no curse, not even that of Wayland North, is quite as terrible as the one she herself may carry.

I had high expectations for Brightly Woven. I've been wanting to read it for a while, but I never seemed to be able to get my hands on a copy. The other day I was at the library, and I saw it sitting on the shelf. I practically ran to get it, even though nobody else was around.
I'm a fan of Fantasy, and this novel didn't disappoint. The concept was original, and the characters were fun and interesting. I probably wouldn't call it my absolute favorite, but I can see myself rereading this one. If you like Fantasy and magic and politics, you'll wanna give this one a try.

4/5

Review: Divergent by Veronica Roth

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

If you haven't heard about this book yet, where have you been?

I've seen people talking about it all over Twitter and in the blogosphere, and after reading it I know why! This is one of those books that sucks you in and doesn't let up until the end. Since it is dystopian, it's easy to relate it to The Hunger Games. There are a few similarities, but this doesn't feel like a copy. I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who loved The Hunger Games, Delirium, or Matched. I recommended it even if you didn't like those books. 

On the official Divergent Facebook page, there's an aptitude quiz just like the one in the book. You can take it to see which faction you would be in. 

I got Erudite. ;)

Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else. 

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does. 

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself? 

Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Yay Red Glove! Ever since I finished White Cat, I've been anticipating this one. It definitely lived up to the hype. Normally when I start a new book in a series, it takes a while for me to get back into the swing of the book. Even though it's been almost a year since I read WC, it was super easy to jump back in. 

I love, love, love the world Holly has built in the Curse Workers series. I also love the cons. I was kind of worried that with all the story threads going on that the cons would get pushed to the back, but that wasn't the case. I have so much love for this book and this series and I can't wait for Black Heart!

5/5

Review: The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.  

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again. 

But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?

Carrie has outdone herself. This book is haunting, violent, and beautiful at the same time. If you've read either of the first two books you know that Carrie has a way with words. I can't really explain it, but just the way she chooses to describe things is amazing. I found myself rereading paragraphs because they were just that good. I don't want to say too much about the plot other than it's kind of a continuation from The Dead Tossed Waves, only told from a different perspective. If you haven't read this series, go out and get on it! Just don't be surprised when you find yourself unable to stop.

5/5

Cover Alert! The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Cover Alert! Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Cover Alert! Pledge by Kimberly Derting

This cover is AMAZING. What do you think?

Review: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love - the deliria - blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy. 

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

The concept for Delirium sounds similar to a few books out on the market now. I didn't know what to expect from this one, but I loved Before I Fall, so I decided to give it a go. 

You will want to read this book. The writing is smooth and lyrical, and the story is captivating. The only negative point I have is that the main part of the story didn't pick up until about 200 pages in, but it wasn't boring. This is the first book in the series, and I can't wait for book two to see what happens next!

Recommended if you like: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Matched by Ally Condie, Across the Universe by Beth Revis 

5/5

Review: Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves

Kit and Fancy Cordelle are sisters of the best kind: best friends, best confidantes, and best accomplices. The daughters of the infamous Bonesaw Killer, Kit and Fancy are used to feeling like outsiders, and that’s just the way they like it. But in Portero, where the weird and wild run rampant, the Cordelle sisters are hardly the oddest or most dangerous creatures around.

It’s no surprise when Kit and Fancy start to give in to their deepest desire—the desire to kill. What starts as a fascination with slicing open and stitching up quickly spirals into a gratifying murder spree. Of course, the sisters aren’t killing just anyone, only the people who truly deserve it. But the girls have learned from the mistakes of their father, and know that a shred of evidence could get them caught. So when Fancy stumbles upon a mysterious and invisible doorway to another world, she opens a door to endless possibilities….

Let me preface my review by saying that I haven't read Bleeding Violet (although I do have it). I've been told that while this isn't a direct sequel to BV, it makes this one even better and easier to understand.. 

This book is very morbid. I enjoyed it, but some people might be put off by all of the violence, language and other content. 

The town of Portero is very interesting. They have demons everywhere. People getting killed in the street by a monster is a regular occurrence. So regular, in fact, that the demons are mentioned off-handedly in the story, which threw me off a bit. Normally if monsters are going around decapitating people, someone freaks out or something. Not in Slice of Cherry. It took me a little while to get used to the storytelling side of this book, but it was worth it. 

The synopsis doesn't do the book much justice, because there is so much more going on here than two sisters who kill people. I don't want to get into any of the extra things, because it's fun to see the story unfold for yourself. The further into the book I got, the more engrossed I became in the story. It's definitely not for everyone, but give it a try! 

4/5