{ Teaser Tuesday - August 30, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along, just 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 does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Haylee Mitchell woke up and felt a peace radiate through her body she'd never known before. Then Jaycie was back in the room, and she felt a fear she'd never felt before. Her best friend's power was beautiful and horrifying at the same time.

pg 206, ARC ebook, Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry

What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - August 29, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what is up next. Here are mine for this week:

Last Week:

Eve by Anna Carey

Shiewo - A Fantasy Flight to Adventure by Ciye Cho

Currently Reading:

Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry

Up Next:

Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

The Accident by Linwood Barclay

What are you reading this week?

{ Shiewo - A Fantasy Flight to Adventure by Ciye Cho }

Shiewo - A Fantasy Flight to Adventure by Ciye Cho

June 2011 by Studio Amazepop

Source: from author for review

Format: ebook

Genre: YA Fantasy

Available: Smashwords

From Goodreads:

The universe of Orberana is a place of great wonder and peril, a dizzying landscape filled with clouds that can talk, clockwork beings that mark their own time, and painted animals that awake in the night.

Shiewo Morose is the captain of a flying ship powered by music. She is also a determined young woman on a mission: a quest to find the Wishing Fish that created Orberana.

Sailing above the clouds, Shiewo and her crew (Erduu the bamboo, Theo the cloud, Livingston the goldfish, and Felix the painter) are headed for worlds of crazed clockwork bureaucrats, tyrannic kings, and tornado children--worlds that will test not only the crew's bravery... but their very understanding of adventure.

Theirs is the odyssey of a lifetime...


My Review:

When approached by author Ciye Cho to review his book, Shiewo - A Fantasy Flight to Adventure, I was somewhat reluctant. This was definitely a book out of my normal reading realm. After taking a peak at the author's website, I realized that this was definitely an individual with loads of imagination and drive. I also decided that sometimes it's good to go outside our comfort zones and expand our minds.

During the first 50 pages of this adventure I will admit to questioning my decision. I was definitely in for one wild ride. However, around that 50 page mark things started to fall into place and I really started to understand the world of Orberana and it's fantastical characters.

Captain Shiewo Morose is a great female character. She is a strong, smart no-nonsense girl trying to find the Wishing Fish to save her man. All the while surrounded by her...well...interesting crew. Let's see. There is Theo, the cloud/runaway tornado cadet. There's Erduu, the walking, talking bamboo man. Also, along for the journey is, Livingston, the black goldfish...oops, sorry. He does not like to be called a goldfish! Livingston provided many laughs. He's loud, demanding and super snarky. Gotta love him! Lastly is Felix Dabblezapp. The human castaway who discovers that what he thought was a strange and wondrous dream is all very real.

Many times throughout this story it felt very much like I was in a strange Wizard of Oz adventure. I'm not saying that was bad or good, just an observation.

In the end, Shiewo - A Fantasy Flight to Adventure, was a strange and wondrous tale filled with a cast of fun and fantastical characters. This story would definitely appeal to YA and Adult readers who enjoy fantasy/sci-fi with highly imaginative characters. While this is not something you would normally find on my bookshelf? I definitely plan to read the next installment to see where the journey takes these wonderful characters next and to see if they ever find the Wishing Fish.

Rating: 3 stars

{ Teaser Tuesday - August 23, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along, just 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 does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!



I finished this book a few days ago and absolutely LOVED it, so I thought I would share it with you.

My body curled and seized, ridden with shame. In School and out of School, I had believed that love was a liability - something that could be wielded against you. I began to weep, finally knowing the truth: love was death's only adversary, the only thing powerful enough to combat its clawing desperate grasp.

pg 168 - ARC ecopy - Eve by Anna Carey


What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - August 22, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what is up next. I missed last week cause I was away camping, but here are mine for this week:

Last week:

Misfit by Jon Skovron

Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Eve by Anna Carey

Currently reading:

Shiewo: A Fantasy Flight to Adventure by Ciye Cho

Up Next:

Darwin's Children by Natasha Larry

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

What are you reading this week?

{ IMM - August 21, 2011 }

IMM is a weekly book meme hosted by The Story Siren. You can find out all the details about this meme HERE. Be sure to stop by and check out who else is participating this week!

This week I received the following from the author for review:


Black Purse by Stephanie M Sellers

A huge thank you to NetGalley once again for the following:

The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier

The Accident by Linwood Barclay

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman



Variant by Robison Wells

What's in your mailbox this week?

{ Eve by Anna Carey }

Eve by Anna Carey

October 4, 2011 by HarperCollins Publishers

Source: NetGalley

Format: ARC ebook

From Goodreads:

Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose—and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in Eve’s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.

My Review:

One of the great pleasures I get from reading is finding THAT book. The one that comes out of nowhere and catches you by surprise. Yes, I requested this book from NetGalley. I knew what it was about. But to be honest, I was not expecting a lot. I had seen some reviews and they ones I had read were not all that encouraging. You know what? I totally fell for this book and these characters right from chapter one. Anna Carey has written a phenomenal Dystopian that I completely devoured. The writing in this book left me breathless, sad, happy, VERY teary at times, hopeful, giddy...the point is? Anna Carey did exactly what I crave in a book. I felt EVERYTHING these characters felt and so much more.

Eve was a character that I could easily connect with. She has spent almost her entire life within the walls of the School. She has grown up being told that men are evil and not to be trusted. All men except for the King. On the eve of her graduation she learns the truth about her world and what her future actually holds. The truth is so terrifyingly horrific, she decides to run away into the wild. With the aide of a secret someone, she is told of a place out West - Califia - where they will take in orphan girls and protect them. And so Eve's journey begins. I love how Eve grows throughout the book. She stays true to who she is, but grows as a woman and as a human. The relationship with Arden was a great addition to this journey. Even though Arden is tough at times, deep down I always knew she was a good person. She definitely added some great conflicts and funny moments for me.

Okay. Here it is. We now have to talk about Caleb. First off. Just the name, Caleb, gets my heart beating faster. I have always had a thing for the name. And he totally lives up to the name. Can you say hot, hot, hot? Yes, Caleb found his way into my heart right from the very first sight of him. Caleb is not only hot, but confident. Not overly, not in your face. He makes you feel safe, taken care of. Oh wait. I mean, Eve. He takes care of Eve. Caleb is strong and so very protective of those he cares about. The connection between Eve and Caleb was perfect. Some have said that they thought Eve was not as wary of Caleb and men in general considering the way she was raised. However, I did not feel that way at all. She had a lot of inner apprehension, but she also was forced into the realization that what she knew to be true was all a lie. And meeting Caleb was definitely the perfect way to sway her!

There has been a lot of talk about comparisons to Twilight. Huh? I don't get that at all! To me, there is 0 comparisons. Also, many have said that this is a Wither rip-off and a bad one. Well, maybe the reason I loved Eve so much is that I was not a fan of Wither. In the end, I completely recommend this book to all Dystopian lovers. If you love characters you can instantly connect with, and love an amazing couple to root for? Go pick up a copy of Eve when it hits bookshelves. Oh, and? Just a little warning. Author Anna Carey has left us with a heart wrenching cliffhanger!

Rating: 5 stars!

{ Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee }

Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Sept 13, 2011 by Center Street

Source: NetGalley

Format: ARC Ebook

From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Ted Dekker teams with Tosca Lee to create this gripping thriller set in a desolate future.

A terrible truth has been revealed to one man: the entire human race has been drained of every emotion except one— fear. To bring life back to the world, Rom must embark on a journey that will end either in his own demise or a reawakening of humanity. But to bring love and passion back into existence will also threaten the powers of the world with the revolution and anarchy that had nearly destroyed them previously.

After happening upon a journal through strange circumstance, Rom's world is shattered. He learns that humanity long ago ceased to "live," that it exists today in a living death of emotions. In a terrible risk, Rom exposes himself to the vial of blood folded into the old leather of the journal. His change is fearful and fraught with mind-bending emotion. A once-pious observer of the Order's passionless statues, he is filled with uncontrollable impulses. He is filled with love.

He is undone, terrified, and alone in the desolate world.

My Review:

Forbidden is an action packed thrill ride for all lovers of Dystopian/Fantasy with some religious base. After reading Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy, I became an instant fan. I was so excited to see Forbidden come up on NetGalley and even more excited to see it in my galley! While I am not familiar with the writings of Tosca Lee, the collaboration between these two authors is truly breathtaking.

The beginnings of this story had a true Dystopian feel, which of course I love. But as the story moved along it also grew into this amazing, fantastic, epic journey filled with love, betrayal, death, swords, blood and oh so much more!

The story centers around Rom. A twenty-four year old average young man. Rom's world is turned quite literally turned upside down as the true origins of the Order, the world he knows to be true has all been a lie. Throughout the book we see Rom grow from this average young man to a true hero of epic proportion. No he does not have special powers or have amazing fighting skills, but as he learns the truth he discovers what is right and what is wrong. With this new knowledge he vows to fight for what is right and to protect those he loves.

I absolutely love the connection between Rom and Avra. There is no unrealistic hot lusty love at first sight nonsense. These two have grown up within a society without love, or any emotion other than fear. Yet, deep down they have both felt an unexplainable connection to one another, without ever knowing what love is. This felt so real, so powerful. I loved it!

In true Ted Dekker style, Forbidden is of course filled with darkness, evil at it's finest. And while this book may not have been as dark as I would have expected it was felt with the addition of Saric. Saric is the perfect image of evil. He too, has the knowledge of the true origins of the Order, and being the evil one he is? He has plans to bring his evilness to the world. Saric is one of those characters that I lovingly loathe. He has an insatiable thirst for women and power and a quite repulsive thirst for his half-sister, Feyn.

Feyn, is the beautiful soon to-be Sovereign. She has lived her life for this moment. But soon she too will learn the truth about the Order and must make a decision that could alter her destiny and the world forever.

In the end, I would recommend Forbidden to anyone who enjoys Dystopian/Fantasy, with lots of action. If you love strong memorable characters you will not be disappointed. While there are certainly faith/religious based elements, it is not in your face as Ted Dekker's Circle Trilogy was. This is the beginning of what I anticipate will be a phenomenal series. This book once again solidifies my love of Ted Dekker and has me looking forward to reading more books by Tosca Lee.

Rating: 4.5 stars!

{ Misfit by Jon Skovron }

Misfit by Jon Skovron

August, 2011 by Amulet Books

Format: ebook ARC

Source: NetGalley

From Goodreads:

Jael has always felt like a freak. She's never kissed a boy, she never knew her mom, and her dad's always been super strict - but that's probably because her mom was a demon, which makes Jael half demon and most definitely not a normal sophomore girl. On her sixteenth birthday, a mysterious present unlocks her family's dangerous history and Jael's untapped potential. What was merely an embarrassing secret before becomes a terrifying reality. Jael must learn to master her demon side in order to take on a vindictive Duke of Hell while also dealing with a twisted priest, best-friend drama, and a spacey blond skater boy who may have hidden depths.

Author Jon Skovron takes on the dark side of human nature with his signature funny, heartfelt prose.

My Review:

Going into Misfit, I was not too sure what to expect. After an okay first chapter, I was pleasantly drawn in. The book switches back and forth between present day and the past. During these flash backs not only do we learn the back story of the main character Jael, but also her parents and Uncle. It's these flash backs that were the highlight for me. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how Jaels demon mother and ex-priest father came together. We get to see how the circumstances surrounding Jael's mother's death, directly effect her father and the reason he is the way he is. We also get to see the relationship between Jael's mother and Uncle. I just have to say I absolutely love Uncle Dagon! Here is this demon Fish King, monsterish in looks, but a big teddy bear at heart. Really he is just a big, scaly kid. He brings a lot of laughs and heart warming moments to this story. As per Jael's mother's wishes, it is Dagon's responsibility to help Jael bring out and develop her demon powers. I really enjoyed seeing the whole process and watch the relationship between Uncle and niece develop.

The relationship between Jael and Rob was sweet. Rob is quite funny and truly believes in Jael and her potential. Although at times I found it to be a bit...well silly maybe.

Speaking of silly. I did have some issues with some of the "Hell" aspects to this story. Some of the images of "Hell" just seemed more comical than, Hellish. To me at least.

In the end, I would definitely recommend Misfit to anyone who is a fan of YA Paranormal. It was an enjoyable, fun read and I will definitely read any future writings of Jon Skovron.

Rating: 3.5 stars

{ Teaser Tuesday - August 9, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along, just 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 does not give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!)

* Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Here's mine for this week:

"Wow," he says. "That's a very pretty necklace."

"Thanks," says Jael. "I think it might be from hell."

pg 81 - Misfit by Jon Skovron - ARC from NetGalley

In the context that this conversion is coming from...well, it made me laugh out loud. Almost done with this one and it is a pretty good read.

What's your teaser this week?

{ It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - August 8, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what is up next.

It was a slow week this week, so not much has changed. Here is mine for this week:

Last week:

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick - AMAZING - LOVED IT!

Currently Reading:

Misfit by Jon Skovron

Up Next:

Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Eve by Anna Carey

What are you reading this week?

{ The Winner Is...}

I am super excited to announce my first ever giveaway winner! The winner of an ecopy of No Shoes, No Shirt, No Spells by Rose Pressey is...

Karen @ BookLightGraveyard!

Congrats Karen, your contact info and choice of ebook format has been forwarded and you will be receiving your ebook soon!

Thanks to everyone...even though there was only 3 of you...for stopping by and entering.

{ Ashes by Ilsa J Bick }

Ashes by Ilsa J Bick

Sept 6, 2011 by Edgemont USA

Source: NetGalley ARC

Format: ebook

From Goodreads:

It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of 'The Changed'.

Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom - a young army veteran - and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive.

My Review:

I love, love, love this book! Many times I was left breathless and filled with so much emotion. The tears were overflowing and the stomach was over-turning! Ashes is definitely one of my top reads of 2011!

The connection to this story began instantly with Alex, the main character. Here is this girl, who at the age of seventeen, has already been through more heartbreak and obstacles than most adults will see their entire lives. And then, the unthinkable happens.

The world building within this book is why I love post-apocalyptic dystopian so much. There is just enough truthful fact to make this story so terrifyingly believable. And throughout the story you keep asking yourself, 'What would I do'? 'Would I survive'?

Ilsa J Bick's characters, despite the horrific situations they are forced to with stand, are so full of life, strength and love. And because of this, it was easy to connect and fall in love with Alex, Tom and Ellie. I whole heartily felt every victory and heartbreak along with them. But then Alex's life is turned upside down yet again as she is thrown into the town of Rule and separated from Tom and Ellie.

The dynamics within Rule are very cult-like as Alex quickly learns. Rule is very mysterious and creepy as is the council that oversees all. I love it! The town is also filled with more dynamic characters like Jess, Kincaid, the Reverend and Chris. Each of these characters has a pivotal role in Alex's life within Rule. And then a few play a crucial role as Alex is forced to learn the truth about Rule in the heart stopping final pages.

In the end, I recommend this book to all! If you are already a lover of post-apocalyptic dystopian you will devour Ashes. If you are new to the genre and the mention of 'zombies' makes you cringe? Take a chance. I promise you will love it. It is so worth the read and getting to know Alex, Tom, Ellie, Jess, Kincaid, Chris and the town of Rule. I will be reserving a spot on my bookshelf for Ashes and counting down for the next book. I will also be looking for every book ever written by Ilsa J Bick!!

Rating: 5 Stars!

{ Teaser Tuesday - Aug 2, 2011 }

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly book meme hosted by Mizb over at Shouldbereading. Anyone can play along just 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 does not 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 teaser!

Here is mine for this week:

'A shrill note, sharp and clear, pierced the air. Alex gasped, her breath balling in her throat. She knew that sound. It was the whistle she'd given Ellie: you blow on that, they'll hear it in the next state.'

pg 229 - Ashes by Ilsa J Bick - ebook ARC provided by NetGalley for review

I absolutely LOVE this book so far! You all must read this one! Wow!

What's your teaser this week?

** Be sure to check out my giveaway HERE **

{ It's Monday! What are you reading? - August 1, 2011 }

It's Monday! What are you reading is a weekly book meme hosted by Sheila over at BookJourney. This is where participants share what they read last week, what they are currently reading and what is up next. Here is mine for this week:


Read Last Week:


The Eye of the Crystal Ball by T P Boje


Currently Reading:


Ashes by Ilsa J Bick


Up Next:


Misfit by Jon Skovron

Forbidden by Ted Dekker & Tosca Lee

Eve by Anna Carey

What are you reading this week? And don't forget to check out my giveaway HERE while you're here!