Wednesday, August 29, 2012

My Never-Ending Booknotes: Because of Low by Abbi Glines



MNever-Ending Booknotes features my favorite lines/dialogue/quotes from the books I already finished or currently reading. I'm going to post every Wednesday, and if you want to share your favorite quotes, please feel free to do so. I would be so happy and excited to read them. Who knows, we might have the same favorites! :) 

I love the Sea Breeze Series by Abbi Glines, and last time I featured While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3) in my Never-Ending Booknotes. If you haven't seen it yet, you can still read my post here. Today, I picked Because of Low, my most favorite of all the Sea Breeze books yet. 
Add to TBR
"Why the hell does she run off to him all the time? I don't get it!"

"Because he's her safe house. As screwed up as it is considering who we're talking about. Cage cares about one thing in the world and it's Low. He's been fighting her battles and fixing her problems since they were kids. We all lived on the same street. I remember watching them. It always fascinated me how bad boy Cage York acted like a love sick puppy when it comes to her. She fell down he came running. You want her, then good luck. Because every time you aren't there to pick her up I can assure you Cage will be. She knows she can call him. She knows no matter what he'll love her. Unconditional love is hard to compete with."

* * * * 
I grabbed hold of the chair beside me. My knees went weak. The ache hearing Larissa ask for Willow was nothing compared to the pain searing through my chest. The things I'd said. Oh, God, no.

"She's been left her whole life. She's a good girl. Larissa adores her. Where her sister lacks in many honorable traits Willow seems to have them in abundance."

I'd left her.
Just like she feared.

Do you have some favorite lines to share?


Monday, August 27, 2012

Release Day Blitz: THEIR PROMISE by Brina Courtney

Welcome to the Release Day Blitz of Their Promise (A Novella) by Brina Courtney.
This novella is already available for download today, August 27th 2012.
Thanks to SupaAwesome Heather @ SupaGurl Tours for bringing us this awesome blitz!


Their Promise
One moment can change your life forever.
One moment to find love.
One moment to lose it.

Watch the trailer in YouTube
Follow Brina on Twitter
Like Brina on Facebook
Brina's Website

Book Review: STAY WITH ME by Paul Griffin

Stay With Me
Author: Paul Griffin
Published: Dial
Publisher: September 8th 2011
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance
Summary | Add to TBR

An urban romance that will capture your soul, break your heart, and restore your faith in the human spirit

Fifteen-year-olds Cece and Mack didn't expect to fall in love. She's a sensitive A student; he's a high school dropout. But soon they're spending every moment together, bonding over a rescued dog, telling their secrets, making plans for the future. Everything is perfect. Until. Until. Mack makes a horrible mistake, and in just a few minutes, the future they'd planned becomes impossible. In this stark new reality, both of them must find meaning and hope in the memories of what they had, to survive when the person they love can't stay.

From award-winning writer Paul Griffin, Stay with Me is both heartbreaking and uplifting, filled with characters (both dog and human) that will forever change the way you look at the world.
My Thoughts:
It happens all the time. And it does. Until it happens to you. Then it's something different all right, especially when you're left to wander the wreckage.
I thought that this book was going to be a depressing one... I just felt it and I thought that I wouldn't be able to finish it soon enough. I know that I wasn't in the mood for a lot of drama but there's something about this book that captured my interest and I didn't want to put it down.

The story is about a boy who has learning disabilities but is good-hearted and gifted. But there was something about him than just his reading problem... he heard hissing whenever he get mad or angry or feel bad, and sometimes it was difficult to control. Until he met his bestfriend's sister, Cece. They didn't plan to fall in love but it just happened and Cece is the only person who was able to calm Macky. But Macky did something that changes everything between them and forced them to acknowledge the fact that it is now impossible for the two of them to have a life together.

I think that the author developed the characters very well. They have depth, they have feelings, they have unique personalities that made each of them remarkable. You'll know by reading the book that these characters--major and minor ones--weren't created as a filler. They were there because they need to be there... to make the story complete, to create sense and meaning in the story. 
I'm so excited being alive, I can't  stop smiling... I'm lit up just like the sky. Lighting falls all across it like God brushed a wirehaired jackal and pulled the dross from the comb and just tossed it down on us. - Macky
Macky is a complicated character and reading his mind is sad and heartbreaking. He is kind, compassionate, humble, and good but the circumstances made it hard and unbearable for him. He isn't the strongest character out there, but he is one of the remarkable characters I've ever met. I wish that the circumstances were different for him so he can have a good future but life isn't like that for everyone. Though I couldn't say anything about Cece, since I didn't relate to her much, I think she was a nice character to read about and sometimes her thoughts were funny and entertaining that it made the book a bit lighter to read. But among all the characters, Anthony is the one I liked the most. He has so much faith in Macky and I think that he could never be a much better friend than what he already is.
I think this'll be a defining moment for you. You just have to go through it, kid. When you're ready to stop hurting, you'll move on. But that won't change the fact that you'll always have a part of him with you... It's okay to keep loving him... it's never easy, but it's always great. - Anthony
The story seemed to be progressing really well until I reached the middle part of the book. The story began to pace real slow for me and I wondered where the story was heading. I skipped a few words, even lines, just to hurry up my reading. It's a little frustrating but I still wanted to continue and see how it will end. By the time I reached the ending, I was left open-mouthed. The ending just didn't do it for me and I was left hanging. I don't know if there's even a future for Cece and Mack to be together and it just broke my heart. I guess it just showed that life isn't always a happy ending, and life doesn't always work out as we planned. But no matter how I try to accept it, I still felt heartbroken.

I also think that this book will appeal better on readers who love, love dogs. In my opinion, this book focused a little too much on them, not that I didn't liked it, but it overpowered the story especially the romance flavor. Maybe that's the reason why I was left unsatisfied. Don't get me wrong cos I also love dogs BUT I love a good romance too and I didn't get the happy ending I wanted. I didn't mean it to be a bad thing and it was wonderful to see how they were given so much credit in the story. I just want a happy ending, that's all.

Well, considering how this book made me feel, I'd say that even though there are parts that were slow and that the ending was a bit disappointing for me, I couldn't say that this book isn't good and not worthy of my time. Because honestly, even after days of finishing the book, I still think about it and the characters, wondering the could-have-beens, their present that they have to deal with and the future that awaits them. It made me think about people and how our relationships with our friends and families can make us or even break us. It is touching, sad, bittersweet, and very realistic. Give this book a chance, you might really enjoy it.

My Rating:

Saturday, August 25, 2012

TBR Intervention Challenge (46)


TBR Intervention is a weekly challenge hosted by

Everyone is WELCOME to JOIN this meme. Just click the image TBR Intervention Button above to see the rules and read more about this feature.

LAST WEEK'S TBRIC:

Last week I told you that I'll try to finish Stay With Me by Paul Griffin, which I did. I'm glad that I'm done with the book though I haven't posted my review yet. I'm still writing it and probably post it this coming week. It's good but a little slow. And the ending was like "that's it?!" kind of thing. It's not a happy ending for me, but I understand that life isn't perfect and the book was just trying to be realistic. I'm a sucker for HEA and this book didn't give me that. Nevertheless, I liked it enough. Sad, heartbreaking, bittersweet romance.

I didn't start Surrender by Elana Johnson because I've decided I needed to finish a few more review books I got months ago (since last year!). So instead of reading what I planned last week, I started The Forever Girl by Rebecca Hamilton which is GOOD! I'm still halfway through and I'll tell you what I think when I finish the book. 

THIS WEEK'S TBRIC:

The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey (Forever Girl #1)
by Rebecca Hamilton
Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves.

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.

One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him. 

Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council's way. It's a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.
I received this book for review long time ago (I can't remember the exact date) so I think it's just right to give it a chance. Since I already started it and hopefully finish it this weekend, I'll try to read one more book. I just can't decide which book next because my mood changes a lot! Today I feel like reading a contemporary, tomorrow it will be something else. But I'll pick one from my past TBRIC books that I haven't gotten through yet. I'll re-check your past suggestions :)

So, how's your week? Sorry I wasn't able to visit some blogs for the past few weeks. I hope everyone is doing well and good luck with your books!


Thursday, August 23, 2012

My Never-Ending Booknotes: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready


My Never-Ending Booknotes will feature my favorite lines/dialogue/quotes from the books I already finished or currently reading. I'm going to post every Wednesday, and if you want to share your favorite quotes, please feel free to do so. I would be so happy and excited to read them. Who knows, we might have the same favorites! :)

Today, I'll pick some lines from my most favorite Paranormal Romance book ever, Shade by the most awesome author I've ever met (okay, not actually met cos I am miles away from the US, but she's actually the most lovable author I know!) Ms. Jeri Smith-Ready. I cannot tell you how many times I've listened and read these lines... particularly the one special line. I know it, remember it, and memorized it by heart. There are so many memorable and heartfelt moments in the series, but I don't know why this one sticks to me the most. Anyway, here's my NEBN for this week:
Add to TBR
He looked at me across the courtroom. "As for Aura, I hung out with her after I died, and even though she made me happy, it killed me not to touch her, it killed me to know that we had no future. And now, because I died, I've lost her." He waited for the boy to translate, then addressed the jury. "I can't touch, but I can still feel. And I tell you, if this were my life...I wouldn't want to live."

"So did I know I could die?" he said. "Absolutely not. With all I had, with all I could've had--" He gazed at me what felt like an eternity, "Why would I ever take that chance?"
If you haven't read ShadeShift and Shine, go and get a copy now. Don't miss this amazing series.


Saturday, August 18, 2012

TBR Intervention Challenge (45)

TBR Intervention is a weekly challenge hosted by


Everyone is WELCOME to JOIN this meme. Just click the image TBR Intervention Button above to see the rules and read more about this feature.

LAST WEEK'S TBRIC:

Hello! How's your week? How's your TBR? Mine is still loaded though I managed to read one book plus half of Stay With Me by Paul Griffin which was my TBRIC pick last Saturday. I'm almost halfway through the book but I stopped for a while. I have a great feeling that this book will be one whole depressing one and I can't get myself to continue just yet. My Life Next Door has been set aside too, simply because I couldn't get into the story anymore and it was a bit slow for me. I hope I can get back to it again soon. I've mentioned that I finished one book last week and it was really good. The Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle kept me occupied and I'm glad that I've joined the tour (Thanks to Dani!!!). My review will be up not until September 28th, but I'm telling you now that it's worth my time. I really liked and enjoyed this book. 


THIS WEEK'S TBRIC:


This week I'll try to continue reading Stay With Me by Paul Griffin, then I wish to start Surrender (Possession #2) by Elana Johnson. I loved the first book and it has been one of my favorites ever since. I miss Jag and Vi, and if you have read Possession, you know how big the cliffhanger ending was! So now I think I'm ready to start the second book.

Summary: 
Forbidden love, intoxicating power, and the terror of control…
Raine has always been a good girl. She lives by the rules in Freedom. After all, they are her father’s rules: He’s the Director. It’s because of him that Raine is willing to use her talent—a power so dangerous, no one else is allowed to know about it. Not even her roommate, Vi.

All of that changes when Raine falls for Gunner. Raine’s got every reason in the world to stay away from Gunn, but she just can’t. Especially when she discovers his connection to Vi’s boyfriend, Zenn. Raine has never known anyone as heavily brainwashed as Vi. Raine’s father expects her to spy on Vi and report back to him. But Raine is beginning to wonder what Vi knows that her father is so anxious to keep hidden, and what might happen if she helps Vi remember it. She’s even starting to suspect Vi’s secrets might involve Freedom’s newest prisoner, the rebel Jag Barque...

What did you read last week?

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Book Review: POINT OF RETREAT by Colleen Hoover

Point of Retreat (Slammed #2)
Author: Colleen Hoover
Published: February 25th 2012
Edition: Kindle Format
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary
Summary | Add to TBR

Hardships and heartache brought them together…now it will tear them apart.

Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will’s past re-emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge…how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop ‘carving pumpkins.’

When I look at the page in front of my eyes, 
I still can't see anything, just white. The page is blank.
I hope I'll find a way, to write what I needed to say.
Well, duh, I'll write anyway...
Maybe you'll understand and get what I really intend to convey.

If you haven't read Slammed, I urge you to do so.
Please read my review, and comment if you want to.
Now, I will write about Point of Retreat
It's better than Slammed, 
I''m sure, you won't be tricked.
It's touching,
much emotional than Slammed.
It's an amazing book,
I want a third one! 
* * * * *
My Thoughts:
Love is the most beautiful thing in the world. Unfortunately, it's also one of the hardest in the world to hold on to, one of the easiest things to throw away.
Slammed is one of the best contemporaries that I read this year and Point of Retreat is much better! I didn't expect to love Point of Retreat more than Slammed, but reading what's on Will's mind was so much better than reading Lake's. 
And that's when it happens...my whole world comes crashing down on me...
Lake looks into my eyes and I see it...I see her heart breaking.
Point of Retreat is more emotional and heartbreaking than the first book. Lake's mom died almost a year ago, and no one better understands Lake more than Will, now that they both lost their parents and left with their brothers to take care of. Their lives should have been less difficult now that their together, but things doesn't go that way. Sometimes what binds two people is the same thing that might tear them apart. And there goes this saying:


In this book, I got to see Will and understand him and love him even more. The storyline is really good, and you won't be able to put this down. It was very engaging, very entertaining. I felt several emotions while reading this book and I'm telling you that it's all worth it. I love how the story was told and I loved how the characters matured and developed. I love the amazing characters and I can only imagine how fun and exciting to have those kind of people around. The author did a great job creating wonderful characters that are so real and very inspiring.

I don't know what else to say, except that I totally loved it and I highly recommend it! It's emotionally gripping, achingly beautiful and surprisingly sweet story. This book is made up of well-blended emotions that will surely give you a delightfully roller-coaster ride kind of feeling. It's a remarkable book and it's butterflying amazing.

If you enjoy contemporary books that is so entertaining, emotional but with funny moments too, sad but hopeful at the same time, adorable, amazing characters, and with just the right amount of swoon, Point of Retreat will be a great pick! Read Slammed first then grab this book immediately afterwards.  I totally loved this series. You won't be disappointed.

My Rating:

My Never-Ending Booknotes: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

MNever-Ending Booknotes will feature my favorite lines/dialogue/quotes from the books I already finished or currently reading. I'm going to post every Wednesday, and if you want to share your favorite quotes, please feel free to do so. I would be so happy and excited to read them. Who knows, we might have the same favorites! :)

I haven't posted for a while, except the TBRIC last Saturday. Been busy, doing this, doing that. I still have a few book reviews to write, and books to read that are part of Blog Tours this September. I'm trying to catch up on my reading and blogging but sleepiness and tiredness aren't easy to ignore. Anyway, here's my post for My NEBN this week. This is from one of my most favorite books ever--The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. Have you read this yet? If not, you must! Here's a teaser:
Add to TBR
He was killing me. "Look Shaw--"

"We're starting with the surname nonsense, are we?"

"Hysterical. Ask someone else."

"I don't want to ask someone else. And you don't want me to either."

"Wrong." I hopped off the table and walked away. If I didn't look at him, I'd be fine.

Noah caught up to me in two long strides. "I didn't ask you to marry me. I asked you for dinner. What, are you afraid I'll ruin the image you're cultivating here?"

"I'm not your type," I managed to say.

Noah then took a step toward me, and a deviant smile teased the corner of his mouth. Damn. "I don't have a type."
Have a favorite quote or dialogue to share?

Saturday, August 11, 2012

TBR Intervention Challenge (44)

TBR Intervention is a weekly challenge hosted by

Everyone is WELCOME to JOIN this meme. Just click the image TBR Intervention Button above to see the rules and read more about this feature.

LAST WEEK'S TBRIC:

Wahaha! This is getting old already. Here I am (again) doing the walk of shame... I haven't read my books last week, BUT hey, I finished DUST by Devon Ashley (at last! finally!) and it was good. My review is ready but I can't post it yet, not until the blog tour stops here on September. I'm also halfway through My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick and it's good, I'm enjoying it so far.


So next week...

I'm going to continue My Life Next Door, then probably... maybe... I'll start Stay With Me by Paul Griffin.


What did you read last week? 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

My Never-Ending Booknotes: Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen

My Never-Ending Booknotes will feature my favorite lines/dialogue/quotes from the books I already finished or currently reading. I'm going to post every Wednesday, and if you want to share your favorite quotes, please feel free to do so. I would be so happy and excited to read them. Who knows, we might have the same favorites! :)

My post for NEBN is one day late, sorry! It was raining hard these past two or three days and we're flooded. There were power interruptions so we had problems in the internet connection too. Some provinces are in the state of calamity right now and I hope that the rough weather will be over soon.

Anyway, here's my Never-Ending Booknote for today. It's from one of my favorite Sarah Dessen's book, Along For The Ride. You can read my review here. It's an amazing book. Emotional and funny and very beautiful story. It's my most favorite of all Sarah Dessen's books so far. Have you read it yet?
Add to TBR
“You know,” I said, leaning against the doorjamb, “I’m actually really relieved to hear you say that. Because I don’t want to feel sorry for you.”

“You don’t,” he said, not looking up.

“Nope. The truth is, I’m actually kind of angry with you.”

“Angry?” I nodded. He lifted his head: now, I had his attention. “And why is that?”

“Because you almost got my ass kicked tonight.”

“I did?” I rolled my eyes.

“Like you didn’t know that was your girlfriend I was talking about,” I told him. “Not to mention looking at while I was talking about.”

“Hold on,” he said. “She’s—“

“You just let me stand there and shoot off my mouth,” I continued, ignoring this,“and then, when she came after me...”

“She came after you?”

“She poked me in the chest and called me a skank,” I said. He raised his eyebrows. “And meanwhile, you’re off eating cupcakes somewhere.”

“Excuse me,” he said, pushing the drawer shut, “but you were the one who told me to eat the cupcakes.”

“When I didn’t know my life is in danger!” I sighed. “All I’m saying is that you kind of left me out there to fend for myself. Which was not very cool.”

“Look,” he said, “Belissa is not my girlfriend.”

“You might want to tell her that,” I replied. “If you can, you know, make time during all that cupcake eating.”
Do you have some favorite lines or quotes to share?


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Upcoming Books Snoop | August 2012 Edition

Here are some of the upcoming books that I've spotted over the week(s) and made their way to my TBR list.

If you've also spotted new titles or sequels that you would like to share with me or to everyone, feel free to join and comment. Have fun snooping around!
Here are the books that are released and to be released this month of August.

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)
by Sarah J. Maas
August 7th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
Onyx (Lux #2)
by Jennifer Armentrout
August 14th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarre connection. I’ve sworn him off even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But against all common sense, I’m falling for him. Hard.

Our relationship issues aren’t out biggest problem…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we’re linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And when a new boy shows up a school with a secret of his own, things get complicated fast. I need to choose between my own instincts and Daemon’s.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. Daemon’s never going to stop searching until gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies.
Defiance (Defiance #1)
by C.J. Redwine
August 28th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.
Heaven (Halo #3)
by Alexandra Adornetto
August 21st 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

Only sixteen when she started the series, Ally Adornetto knows how teen hearts beat, and this long-awaited conclusion is certain to be her most popular book yet.

Bethany, an angel sent to Earth, and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier, have been to Hell and back. But now their love will be put to its highest test yet, as they defy Heavenly law and marry. They don’t tell Beth’s archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, but the angels know soon enough, and punishment comes in a terrifying form: the Sevens, who are rogue angels bent on keeping Beth and Xavier apart, destroying Gabriel and Ivy, and darkening angelic power in the heavens.

The only way Bethany and Xavier can elude the Sevens is to hide in the open, and blend in with other mortals their own age. Gabriel and Ivy set them up at college, where they can’t reveal their relationship, and where there is still danger around each corner. Will Bethany be called back to Heaven – forever – and face leaving the love of her life?
Auracle
by Gina Rosati
August 7th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR 

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe. 
When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.
Girl of Nightmares (Anna #2)
by Kendare Blake
August 7th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on. His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.
The Treachery of Beautiful Things
by Ruth Frances Long 
August 16th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR
A darkly compelling mix of romance, fairy tale, and suspense from a new voice in teen fiction

The trees swallowed her brother whole, and Jenny was there to see it. Now seventeen, she revisits the woods where Tom was taken, resolving to say good-bye at last. Instead, she's lured into the trees, where she finds strange and dangerous creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with secrets of his own. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack's help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where stunning beauty masks some of the most treacherous evils, and she's faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice--and not just her own.
Glitch (Glitch #1)
by Heather Anastasiu
August 7th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or “glitch”), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.
Enshadowed (Nevermore #2)
by Kelly Creagh
August 28th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

Varen Nethers is trapped in a perilous dream world -- a treacherous and desolate realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life. Isobel Lanley, plagued by strange visions and haunted by the nightmares of Varen's creation, is the only one who can save him.

Isobel knows that her only hope lies within a Baltimore cemetery. There, in the early morning hours of Edgar Allan Poe's birthday, a mysterious stranger known as the "Poe Toaster" will make his annual homage at the legendary poet's grave.

Only the Poe Toaster holds the key to the way between worlds. But even greater dangers lie ahead for Isobel. An ancient evil, draped in veils of white, is watching, challenging her for Varen's affections. When Isobel finally finds Varen, he is no longer the quiet and brooding boy who once captivated her, but a dark force, powerful and malevolent.
UnWholly (Unwind Trilogy #2)
by Neal Shusterman 
August 28th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.”
Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.

Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.
The Lost Girl
by Sangu Mandanna
August 28th 2012 
Summary | Add to TBR

Eva’s life is not her own. She is a creation, an abomination—an echo. Made by the Weavers as a copy of someone else, she is expected to replace a girl named Amarra, her “other”, if she ever died. Eva studies what Amarra does, what she eats, what it’s like to kiss her boyfriend, Ray. So when Amarra is killed in a car crash, Eva should be ready.

But fifteen years of studying never prepared her for this.

Now she must abandon everything she’s ever known—the guardians who raised her, the boy she’s forbidden to love—to move to India and convince the world that Amarra is still alive.

What Eva finds is a grief-stricken family; parents unsure how to handle this echo they thought they wanted; and Ray, who knew every detail, every contour of Amarra. And when Eva is unexpectedly dealt a fatal blow that will change her existence forever, she is forced to choose: Stay and live out her years as a copy or leave and risk it all for the freedom to be an original. To be Eva.

From debut novelist Sangu Mandanna comes the dazzling story of a girl who was always told what she had to be—until she found the strength to decide for herself.
Starling (Starling #1)
by Lesley Livingston
August 28th 2012
Summary | Add to TBR

"Love is just the beginning... of the end."

Mason Starling is a champion fencer for Gosforth Academy, but she’s never had to fight for her life. Until now. When a ferocious storm rips through Manhattan and unleashes terrifying creatures onto Gosforth’s campus, Mason barely escapes alive. Without help from the mysterious stranger who appeared in the midst of the storm, she might not have made it at all. But now, in the aftermath, Mason’s life begins to spin dramatically, mystically out of control, and the only one who seems able to help her is the stranger who can remember nothing but his name: Fennrys Wolf.

As Mason and Fenn uncover more about Fenn’s past and the strange events that surround them, they realize that Mason’s family — and its dark allegiance to the ancient Norse gods — is at the center of everything. A predetermined fate seems to be closing in on Mason, but is it possible to change one’s destiny?

Readers who fell in love with Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange trilogy and those who love Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series will be captivated by the sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action of Starling.
Erasing Time
by C.J. Hill 
August 28th 2012
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In this high-action and romantic futuristic adventure, there is no escape from the future for two contemporary girls pulled out of their own time.

When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that’s so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can’t go back home.

The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The moblike Dakine fights against the government, and somehow Taylor and Sheridan find themselves in the middle. The only way to elude them all is to trust Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.

Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in.
Have you noticed those gorgeous covers? I especially liked the cover of Heaven (Halo #3). It's beautiful!

Have you spotted some new books today? Share them with us.

Saturday, August 4, 2012

TBR Intervention Challenge (43)

TBR Intervention is a weekly challenge hosted by

Everyone is WELCOME to JOIN this meme. Just click the image TBR Intervention Button above to see the rules and read more about this feature.

LAST WEEK'S TBRIC:


Okaaaaay... So I haven't read Under the Never Sky or Stay With Me, yet. Or any other books I've listed last week. Sorry! Why? Well, because I hardly had time to read since I was too busy with my kid--school, assignments, and now with his Taekwondo class. It's fun and exciting and exhausting, but very fulfilling *smiles.

Anyway, I've finished While It Lasts by Abbi Glines and you can read my review here and I also featured it in My Never-Ending Booknotes.
I'm still trying to finish Dust, and hopefully I'll get to finish it soon. It's a little slow but I'm hoping that it will pick up soon. 

THIS WEEK'S TBRIC:

I'm still not giving up with Under the Never Sky OR Stay With Me. But I'm also thinking of reading Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry. I know that most of you loved it and I am so curious and excited to see it for myself. I really have a good feeling that I will enjoy the book.

That's it for my TBRIC today. How's yours?


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Book Review: WHILE IT LASTS by Abbi Glines

While It Lasts (Sea Breeze #3)
Author: Abbi Glines
Published: July 31st 2012
Format: Kindle Edition
Genre: Mature YA, Contemporary Romance

Summary | Add to TBR
Maybe driving home after a few (or more) shots of tequila had been a bad idea, but hell, he did it all the time. The cops had to have been freaking bored to have pulled him over. He wasn’t even swerving! That’s Cage York’s story and he’s sticking to it.

Unfortunately, his baseball coach isn’t buying it. Cage has a free ride to the local junior college for baseball -- or he did, until he’d gotten a DUI. Now, Cage has to decide: does he drop out and give up his dream of getting noticed by a college in the SEC, and possibly making it into the Major Leagues -- or does he give in to his coach’s demands and spend his summer baling hay?

Eva Brooks planned out her life step by step when she was eight years old. Not once over the years had she lost sight of her goals. Josh Beasley, her next door neighbor, had been the center of those goals. He’d been her first boyfriend at seven, her first kiss at ten, her first date at fifteen, and her first tragedy at eighteen. The moment she’d received the phone call from Josh’s mother saying he’d been killed along with four other soldiers just north of Baghdad, Eva’s carefully planned life imploded in the worst way possible.

Cage isn’t real happy with his closet-sized bedroom in the back of a foul smelling barn, or his daily interactions with cows, but he knows that if he doesn’t make his coach happy then he can kiss his scholarship goodbye. Only a sick and twisted man would decide his punishment was to be working on a farm all summer. No hot babes in bikinis waiting to meet a Southern boy to make her vacation complete. Just him and the damned cows.

Oh -- and an uptight, snarky brunette with the biggest blue eyes he’s every seen. But she doesn’t count, because as hard as he’s tried to charm her out of her panties - he’s pretty sure she’d rather see him hung from the rafters than let him get a taste of her pretty little lips.
My Thoughts:

When I learned that While It Lasts is already available for download a day early, I immediately grabbed a copy! I waited so long for this book and I won't pass an opportunity to read it as soon as it hit the market. I didn't know how good it will be but as high as my expectation was, it absolutely lived up to that. While It Lasts is one of those books that you can't seem to get enough of. It was as good as Abbi Glines other novels, which reminds me why I love her writing. And even though Because of Low is still my most favorite of all her novels, While It Lasts definitely comes next.

Eva Brooks couldn't let go of her dead fiance. She still wears that ring that Josh gave her before he was killed in Baghdad. She never thought that Cage's arrival at their farmhouse will be her way to heal and to love again. But she's confused whether she's ready to give up everything--including Josh--and let herself fall for Cage. He was an absolute opposite of Josh. Josh who was always good, a guy that you can easily and proudly introduce to your parents and family. Cage was different, but she knows that there is something about him than his hot body and pretty face. There is so much more about Cage.
Cage was free and wild. He was like a beautiful bird you could never own. - Eva
Cage York, the bad and the naughty guy who bang almost every available girl that runs into him, now finds his perfect girl--Eva Brooks. It wasn't love at first sight for Eva, but it was definitely something for Cage. And though as he admits that panties is in his priority list when it comes to girls, Cage couldn't deny the fact that he's starting to break for this girl, and maybe...finally…he's falling in love. 
"You are sick," I said through my appalled laughter.

"Who me? You were the one listening at my door. What was it you were hoping to hear, Eva? If I'd known you were coming in hopes of a show I could have been more prepared."
I don't think that words will be enough to convey my feelings about this book. Reading Cage's story and seeing his thoughts made me love him even more. He'd been through a difficult childhood and his life has never been easy. When I finally see the real Cage, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. It was heartbreaking to see how he really feels. He thinks that he doesn't deserve to be loved, he doesn't even think he has a soul. He's broken and he tries to deal with things in his own terms…until he met Eva Brooks, who happens to be someone he couldn't possibly have.

There are lines in the book that nearly broke my heart. Because as much as these two amazing and witty people made me smile (often) and grin (wider), they made my heart melt and break most of the times. I think that these two will always fit each other perfectly no matter how you put them together. I also loved how the story made me love Low even more, made me want more Marcus (please Abbi), and made me excited for whatever Abbi has in store for us. I find myself looking back to one of my most deeply-loved memories with this series while given a glimpse of something more to come in the future. I don't think I could ever get enough of Sea Breeze
I dropped my head to my hands. Why had I let myself care?
I wasn't the keeping kind. I'd learned at a young age that women didn't keep me. When a guy's momma don't want him, why… should anyone else?

I'd learned at an early age that self-preservation was the only way to survive with your soul intact. 
Or maybe I'd lost my soul already. I doubted God let someone like me to keep any gift from him. It was likely I'd been born without one. - Cage 

* * * *
I'd only known how it felt to love someone who loved me just as fiercely... I'd never wanted someone who didn't want me. The longing didn't go away with rejection. - Eva
One boy who thinks bad about himself and who doesn't think he can actually love and care deeply for a girl, and a girl who doesn't expect to be healed by a boy and be given a second chance in love…in life. These two amazing characters will make your knees wobble with anticipation. You'll love them, you'll feel for them, you might even break your heart for them.

If you loved the Cage York in Because of Low, you'll absolutely love him even more in this book! The humor and the funny moments in this book compensates the emotional aspect of the story, thus making this a very satisfying and delicious read. It's perfect for summer, it's perfect for any weather!

This book, just as the rest of the Sea Breeze series is highly engrossing and very entertaining. I read it in one day! I totally loved it. I recommend While It Lasts. I recommend Sea Breeze Series. I recommend Abbi Glines!


My Rating: