Between the Pages

Review of Under the Moon by Natalie J. Damschroder

2012-02-29T19:02:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Under the Moon (Goddess Rising #1) by Natalie J. Damschroder
Publisher/Date published: Entangled Publishing, December 6th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Their power gives them strength... and makes them targets.
Quinn Caldwell is the epitome of a modern goddess. Her power source is the moon, her abilities restricted only by physical resources and lunar phase. She runs a consulting business and her father's bar, serves on the board of the ancient Society for Goddess Education and Defense, and yearns for Nick Jarrett, professional goddess protector and the soul mate she can never have.
But someone has developed the rare and difficult ability to drain a goddess of her powers, and Quinn is a target. With the world thinking Nick has gone rogue (whatever that means) and that Quinn is influenced by "family ties" she didn't know she had, keeping themselves safe while working to find the enemy proves harder each day.
But not as hard as denying their hearts..."

When I read the summary of this book I was really intrigued by the idea of modern goddesses and all the different ways in which power like that could exist in modern day society. So I was a bit disappointed when there wasn't much explained and/or shown about this in the book itself.

I'm probably going to come off negative in this review, but let me assure you that the book wasn't bad, it was just different from what I had expected. And right at the beginning it made me go REALLY?? at one of the plot points. I mean, really, was it necessary for Quinn to have the excuse of needing to recharge her powers for her to have been having sex with Sam, who is sort of her manager? I mean, she's 38, seems to me like she wouldn't need an excuse. And then for her not to kiss him was all a bit too much just making use of someone she claimed to really care about, when she knew he was in love with her. This definitely did not endear her to me.

Also, the events surrounding the threat to the goddesses seemed a bit too convenient to me. It seemed odd that with everyone knowing about goddesses and their being a whole protective movement and society for them that Quinn needed to go after the one draining goddesses herself.
And then there was Quinn's sister who was just so completely too stupid to live! Seriously, that was bad!

But the tension between Nick and Quinn was great and I liked that for the most part Quinn wasn't some helpless female and could hold her own (well, at least during part of the month). This wasn't what I had expect while reading the summary, but it was an ok read.

My rating: 2 stars

Review of Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

2012-02-27T19:47:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Finnikin of the Rock (Lumatere Chronicles #1) by Melina Marchetta
Publisher/Date published: Candlewick Press, first published September 29th 2008
How I got this book: gifted myself with it for finishing my research report :) (promising myself I could buy books helped much in speeding up the finishing of said report)

Goodreads summary: "At the age of nine, Finnikin is warned by the gods that he must sacrifice a pound of flesh to save his kingdom. He stands on the rock of the three wonders with his friend Prince Balthazar and Balthazar's cousin, Lucian, and together they mix their blood to safeguard Lumatere.
But all safety is shattered during the five days of the unspeakable, when the king and queen and their children are brutally murdered in the palace. An impostor seizes the throne, a curse binds all who remain inside Lumatere's walls, and those who escape are left to roam the land as exiles, dying by the thousands in fever camps.
Ten years later, Finnikin is summoned to another rock—to meet Evanjalin, a young novice with a startling claim: Balthazar, heir to the throne of Lumatere, is alive. This arrogant young woman claims she'll lead Finnikin and his mentor, Sir Topher, to the prince. Instead, her leadership points them perilously toward home. Does Finnikin dare believe that Lumatere might one day rise united? Evanjalin is not what she seems, and the startling truth will test Finnikin's faith not only in her but in all he knows to be true about himself and his destiny."

This book came recommended by bloggers I trust completely: Alex and Jess. And when I was gushing on Twitter about Witchlanders, Sarah J. Maas said I should definitely read Finnikin so of course I added it to my wish-list!
And can I say it totally lived up to my expectations? :D

I absolutely, completely LOVED this book! Finnikin is such a boy and I loved all sometimes clueless boyness of him! He really has a sense of purpose and loyalty and the moments between him and his father were heartbreaking. And he's smart, I love smart boys :) He is a natural leader and I didn't once question people following him even though he's still quite young.

The worldbuilding was amazing and I really enjoyed slowly getting to know the different cultures! And while the events surrounding the five days of the unspeakable had me a bit confused at first, I eventually figured it out and it was amazing!

Also, Evanjalin! Seriously, how can you NOT love her? She's complicated and has a fierce temper but is vulnerable all at the same time. Sometimes I wanted to hug her, sometimes I wanted to slap her, but most of all I wanted to be her friend and have good things happen to her.

But really, all the characters seemed to live and breathe right along with me as I was reading this book and it was just amazing! I really did not want to put down this book and if life hadn't gotten in the way I definitely wouldn't have! I got completely sucked into the world Marchetta has created with Finnikin of the Rock and I didn't want to leave!

I'm so excited to continue the journey of all these characters I've come to love in Froi of the Exiles, I'm sure it will be just as wonderful!
If you're into epic fantasy, you should definitely pick this one up!

My rating: 5 stars

Cover for The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

2012-02-26T18:06:00.005+01:00

The author just tweeted this from the catalog of HarperCollins! Doesn't it look amazing??? And it will just go so well with the cover of The Girl of Fire and Thorns!!

If you can't tell, I'm very much excited for this book :) Can't wait to add it to my shelf and have it being all shiny and pretty there. And of course to continue the series, cause The Girl of Fire and Thorns absolutely blew me away with its awesomeness (my review)

So, what do you guys think of it?

Review of A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

2012-02-25T11:26:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: A Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant
Publisher/Date published: Bantam, December 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Newly widowed and desperate to protect her estate and beloved servants from her malevolent brother-in-law, Martha Russell conceives a daring plan. Or rather, a daring plan to conceive. After all, if she has an heir on the way, her future will be secured. Forsaking all she knows of propriety, Martha approaches her neighbor, a London exile with a wicked reputation, and offers a strictly business proposition: a month of illicit interludes... for a fee.
Theophilus Mirkwood ought to be insulted. Should be appalled. But how can he resist this siren in widow’s weeds, whose offer is simply too outrageously tempting to decline? Determined she’ll get her money’s worth, Theo endeavors to awaken this shamefully neglected beauty to the pleasures of the flesh — only to find her dead set against taking any enjoyment in the scandalous bargain. Surely she can’t resist him forever. But could a lady’s sweet surrender open their hearts to the most unexpected arrival of all... love?"

Ok, so from the summary I thought this would be a sweet, sexy story. Yeah, it kind of really wasn't.

I had SUCH a problem with Martha. I mean, I get it, she's been emotionally unavailable for as long as even her siblings can remember, but that still makes the whole thing weird to me. You see, Martha wants to get pregnant because she needs to keep her staff out of the clutches of the evil brother-in-law after her husband dies. And it needs to be soon for the child to be recognized as her husband's heir. So she asks Theo to perform extramarital duties in order to conceive said heir. And then I thought the seduction would begin.

Wanna know what happened instead? Well, it pretty much seemed like rape with permission from the woman. It was NOT sexy. Martha pretty much just endures everything and tells Theo not to bother with everything besides the part where there's actually a chance he will get her pregnant if you catch my drift. And really, I cannot imagine any man finding that sexy. Or carrying on with it for a full month. I mean really? Well, except if the man in question is either stupid or jerk enough not to care. And as Theo is our hero, I don't think he's supposed to be either of those.

And really, then Martha does something noble, but completely stupid in my opinion. I mean, the whole thing had me going NOOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS ENTIRE TIME??? Though Theo gets some credit for his actions at the end of the novel, though I thought he was kind of an idiot, he did have some endearing qualities.

Most of all, I didn't believe the 'love' between them, I really didn't. And the whole thing made me completely uncomfortable and that's not the feeling I want to be getting from a romance novel.

My rating: 1,5 stars

Review of The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas

2012-02-22T20:07:00.001+01:00

Title/Author: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (Throne of Glass #0.1) by Sarah J. Maas
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury Children's, January 21st 2012
How I got this book: of course I HAD to buy this!!

Goodreads summary: "A Throne of Glass novella.
On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She's been sent by the Assassin's Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes - and she will risk everything to right the wrong she's been sent to bring about."

OMG, I just totally squealed when I got to write the title of this post! Because seriously, I have been a fan of the Sarah J. Maas ever since she posted her first draft of Throne of Glass (then titled Queen of Glass) on FictionPress and I'm so happy for her she got a publishing contract and 2012 will be the year I get to add her first novel to my collection! :) I already pre-ordered it, only 164 days to go! (which really isn't that long, considering I've been waiting for about 8 years ;))
Basically Throne of Glass is a Cinderella retelling with the twist of having Cinderella be a feared assassin!

ANYWAY: of course I had to read the novella. And it is everything I wanted from it! This wasn't part of the story posted on FictionPress and I was really excited about getting to know a bit more about the Celaena she was before she got sent to the salt mines. And I loved how sassy Celaena is! She's such a memorable character!

The writing is amazing and I LOVED reading it, so if you're excited about Throne of Glass or if I've managed to convince you it's something to be excited about, definitely read it!

My rating: 5 stars

Review of Allegiance by Cayla Kluver

2012-02-20T20:07:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Allegiance (Legacy #2) by Cayla Kluver
Publisher/Date published: HarlequinTEEN, February 28th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Only I saw Narian for who he truly was: a young man with courage and an independent mind, and made to pay for what was outside his control. He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep-blue eyes pierced me and held me captive.
An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return...
Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica-until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge.
Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn..."

***If you have not read Legacy yet, read on at your own peril, because there is a big chance this will contain spoilers for it***

Seriously you guys, when I mentioned to Alexa that the book I was reading wasn't working for me and I was thinking about DNF-ing it, she recommended that I bump this one up on my to-read list to make up for it. And I can tell you she gives the best book recs, so thanks again for getting me to read it sooner than I would have otherwise! :)

I really liked Legacy (my review), I had some minor issues with it, but I was SO looking forward to finding out what happened next. And really, this book does NOT suffer from second-book-syndrome in my opinion! It was filled with action and horrifying events and it made me feel ALL THE THINGS!

In the first book, I was in love with Narian and LOATHED Steldor. And this slowly changed over the course of this novel. I don't want to give anything away, but while he does still do some pretty lousy things (though, admittely very much provoked by Alera), Steldor has proven himself to be a worthy hero and I was actually rooting for him in the end! I love that I've gotten to know him better in Allegiance and he's no longer a one-dimensional character!
And in case you are hoping for lots of Narian, like I was, this is just a warning: it takes a LONG time for him to appear and he's not all that much in the book altogether.

And Alera, gosh, I just LOVE Alera! She is such a strong person and she really goes through some personal growth in this book! It was wonderful!

But London made me cry. I adore him and I want good things for him and he's just such a good, brave man! Also, I love how things that made me go 'this doesn't add up' turned out be due to something that was revealed later on in the book.
Also, Steldor almost managed to make me cry towards the end of the book. So tear-inducing moments, check!
And, as I was hoping, we get some more information about the prophecy and it was fascinating!

I do have to mention one thing: while I absolutely loved this novel, there are some REALLY horrifying things going on in it. It's a lot more gruesome than I remember Legacy to be and while it wasn't a problem for me, a little warning is always nice.

As I mentioned at the beginning, Allegiance made me feel ALL THE THINGS! It was absolutely amazing and I cannot WAIT to read Sacrifice! The title sounds like there will be more emotional stuff going on and I AM SO IN!

My rating: 5 stars

Daisy Update (6)

2012-02-19T11:08:00.004+01:00

Remember how I told you guys I was starting a new internship? Well, it's been going pretty well so far! :) The people are nice and I have my own patients to take care off, which is nice. Also: JUST 6 MORE WEEKS AND I'M DONE! I'm very excited but also a bit scared ;)
While I'm really enjoying myself at my new internship, it does keep me busy more than my previous one and I work longer hours, it adds about 5-10 hours every week. So I've been struggling with finding the time to read/blog/spend time with my boyfriend in the few hours I'm home before I fall asleep again.

On Valentine's Day the boyfriend and I went to see a small concert together and while the concert wasn't all that great and the guys on stage didn't really project any energy at all, it was nice spending time with him outside our home.

Also, in Holland we have this thing called carnaval, which is actually going on right now. It's sort of like Halloween in that everyone dresses up, I was Minnie Mouse for a day :) Only it last for 5 days. I went out on Friday for this and then yesterday I had originally planned to go as well, but I just didn't feel like it and ended up spending the evening blogging/talking on Twitter and reading, and spending time with my parents, who I hadn't seen in 3 weeks, so that was nice :)

Last week I got a new haircut, I think I let them cut about 6 inches off. It was SO SCARY but I'm really happy with it now! What do you guys think?

Bookish update: as I said I haven't been finishing all that many books, so I need to catch up on them soon! I did however order 9 books just half an hour ago and 1 on Friday... Yeah, I have no willpower whatsoever. Besides, I had a 10% off coupon that was begging me to use it!
I'm going to try and do an IMM this week, because it's been about two months (or maybe even a little over 2 months... I suck) and I have a lot of books to show you and people to thank and everything.

So how've you been? Did anything fun on Valentine's Day? Something exciting lined up for this week? Let me know!

How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long

2012-02-18T20:37:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: How the Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long (Pennyroyal Green #6)
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, January 1st 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "The Scandal Sheets call him Lord Ice.
Ruthless, cold, precise, Julian Spenser, Marquess Dryden, tolerates only the finest—in clothes, in horseflesh, in mistresses. And now he’s found the perfect bride, the one whose dowry will restore his family’s shattered legacy and bring him peace at last: the exquisite heiress Lisbeth Redmond.
She's not afraid to play with fire...
But one unforgettable encounter with Lisbeth’s paid companion, Phoebe Vale, and the Marquess is undone: this quiet girl with the wicked smile and a wit to match is the first person to see through the icy façade to the fiery man beneath. But their irresistible attraction is a torment as sweet as it is dangerous: for surrendering to their desire could mean losing everything else they ever wanted."

So if you guys follow me on Twitter, you might have seen me doing all kinds of gushing about this novel already! When I started this book, it had been 3 weeks since the last time I felt really absorbed in a story and it was just all kinds of amazing! I went off-pile for this one because I'd been having some meh reads and had really enjoyed another book in this series before and I'm SO glad I did it!

From the first moment I felt a connection to Phoebe, the main character. She's a schoolteacher and as such not your typical romance novel character. She's smart and can hold her own and I appreciated that about her. Phoebe's going places even if she doesn't have a man to support her.

And then we have Julian, who is just a swoonworthy man and who made me want to whack him on the back of the head and give him a hug at the same time. He's got a HUGE sense of responsibility and was completely trustworthy and just basically a good guy. I mean, I love me some rakes, but a good guy wins my heart every time. And seriously, when he chased after Phoebe's cat when it slipped out the door onto the dangerous streets of London, looking all kinds of ridiculous, he earned himself a special place for all time. (Oh, and the cat is awesome too!)

But no matter how amazing they were in their own rights, together they blew me away! The chemistry was amazing and I had goosebumps all over. And the tension! It was FANTASTIC! Plus, brownie points for totally making me cry! It's been so long since a book brought me to tears, but this one did the trick and it was wonderful! These two actually have real conversations and real problems! And gosh, can I just say how much I was annoyed by the heroine's rival? Seriously, that girl turned out to be EVIL!

But mostly, what I meant to say was that I absolutely, completely LOVED this book! I think I've found myself a new auto-add historical romance author! If you like the genre, be sure to pick this one up :)

My rating: 5+ stars

Book Blogger Love-A-Thon!

2012-02-17T17:09:00.004+01:00

The Book Blogger Love-A-Thon is hosted by Katelyn @ Kate's Tales of Books and Bands, if you want to know what it's all about, check out this post!

So today is all about sharing the love and while I'm not officially participating, as I have about half an hour of time on the internet before I should really be eating/showering/getting ready to go out tonight/cleaning (yes, it's very likely that will be skipped).
BUT I thought this was a wonderful idea! And it made me want to write a post about how much I love this community.

Because I do. Very much! I've gotten to know wonderful people through blogging and Twitter has allowed me to more easily get in contact with them and it's great! I mean, just last week I got a new haircut and I showed it to my friends on Twitter even before my boyfriend had seen it (ok, so this was also because he wasn't home for another 5 hours, but still).

I love living in Holland, but it's this community that has me wishing I lived in the US because then I'd get to meet you all!

I want to give a special shoutout to some of my friends on this day of blogger-love :) :

Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books who I'm proud to call my friend! She's such a sweet and generous person and I love talking to her and reading her blog! We share a love of sparkly shirts and food :)

Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl and also fellow Broke and Bookish blogger, holla! She's such a sweetheart and I still think we should either move Holland closer to the US or have her and Alexa come to Paris so we can all meet up! :)

Kelly A., another fellow Broke and Bookish blogger. We're both addicted to A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin and I love that we can geek out together over things such as screenshots for the second season of the TV show :)

Sarah @ Sarah Says Read, a wonderful blogger who knows what she's talking about and isn't afraid to be critical about what she reads. I totally trust her verdict on the books she's read and I love reading her Sarah Sunday posts!

And I also wanted to give a shout out to a relatively new blogger: Bianca @ The Brown Eyed Bookie, she's lovely and you should all go follow her blog!

If I had the time I would list every blogger I know and love, but as I'm kind of running late already, I'll keep it short and just tell everyone who's reading this:
I am so thankful for you and even if I didn't mention you by name, know that I adore every one of you! <3

EDIT: I was mortified when I was just getting my pizza out of the oven (yes, my mind does indeed make interesting connections) and realised I'd forgotten to include Alex @ A Girl, Books and Other Things!! She's been nothing but wonderful since I met her and I love that we share a passion for TV shows such as Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model! :)

Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan

2012-02-15T19:20:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Theft of Swords (The Riyria Revelations #1-2) by Michael J. Sullivan
Publisher/Date published: Orbit, November 23rd 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Royce Melborn, a skilled thief, and his mercenary partner, Hadrian Blackwater, make a profitable living carrying out dangerous assignments for conspiring nobles — until they are hired to pilfer a famed sword. What appears to be just a simple job finds them framed for the murder of the king and trapped in a conspiracy that uncovers a plot far greater than the mere overthrow of a tiny kingdom.
Can a self-serving thief and an idealistic swordsman survive long enough to unravel the first part of an ancient mystery that has toppled kings and destroyed empires in order to keep a secret too terrible for the world to know?
And so begins the first tale of treachery and adventure, sword fighting and magic, myth and legend."

This book is part of a self-published success story! Michael J. Sullivan self-published the entire Riyria Revelations series (which is 6 books in total I believe) and sold them THOUSANDS of times! Seriously, I saw the number 50.000 come up somewhere! I'm not sure if it's correct, but still, that's amazing! And now the series is going to be published by Orbit. So yeah, I'd say big success!

You guys probably know I'm a sucker for a good epic fantasy and I had heard floating around that this was an EPIC series. And when I saw that the ebook was over 700 pages, I thought, well, at least it's BIG enough to be epic!

And then I failed to register that it was actually 2 books in one.

Which makes a BIG difference.

I mean, when I started it, it was a bit too slow for my tastes. But sometimes with these 700 page books you get a lot of build up and then lots of awesomeness, so that's what I was holding out for. Until the story started reaching a climax around 300 pages in and I noticed it was actually 2 books in one. And I'm sad to say the second book was also REALLY slow. I mean, there's a lot of flowery language, which doesn't really work for me, and not a lot of dialogue going on. Of course the scene needs to be set, but I found myself skipping parts of this and it made the plot creep along at a turtle's pace.

Also, I guessed something at the very start book 1 that was revealed around the end of book 2. There are some not so subtle hints and it got me wondering if the characters were A) Really dense or B) Completely blind, not to pick up on them. Another thing that bothered me is that with all the description of their surroundings, I never once got the feeling of knowing the two main characters Royce and Hadrian. They remain mysterious and I'm not even sure what age they're supposed to be (this is kind of a pet peeve of mine, as I don't know how to place them in society then).

I did however like the storyline and a couple of the supporting characters. And I absolutely loved that the all-powerful wizard in the story has a serious handicap! So while he comes and goes as he pleases, he's not some deus ex machina mechanism, which made me happy. There is a lot of intrigue going in, which should be interesting.

While this was an enjoyable read, the characters didn't scream LOVE ME! (though Hadrian sort of whispered it) at me and I kinda want to love the characters. I had just expected more epicness I think.

My rating: 3 stars

A Midsummer Night's Sin by Kasey Michaels

2012-02-13T18:54:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: A Midsummer Night's Sin (Blackthorn Brothers #2) by Kasey Michaels
Publisher/Date published: HQNbooks, November 29th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Handsome as the devil and twice as tempting, Robin "Puck" Blackthorn lives for the pleasures of the moment. His only rule—never dally with an innocent woman. But when an encounter at a masquerade ball leaves him coveting the one woman who refuses to succumb to his charms, Puck realizes that some rules were made to be broken...
Scandalized to discover that the masked man with whom she'd shared a dance — and a forbidden embrace — is in fact the ton's most celebrated rake, Regina Hackett vows to keep her distance. Yet when her cousin vanishes, it is to Puck that Regina must turn. And as they embark on a dangerous journey through London's darkest alleys, Regina will discover that beneath Puck's roguish facade lies a man who will stop at nothing to protect her — or to convince her to take a chance on an unrepentant sinner."

I read the first book in this historical romance series The Taming of the Rake a while back and while I wasn't over the moon over it, I did really enjoy it and when I saw this one would be about Puck I kinda squealed! Cause I loved him so much in that book, I was really excited to find out what he would get up to in his very own adventure :)

And Puck did not disappoint! Seriously, A Midsummer Night's Sin was a wonderful romance! I liked Regina, but Puck really stole the show! In the first book he was the perfect younger brother, making mischief and generally annoying his older brother. In this one, we get to know him some more and see his love of life and it's contagious!

I was however shocked and horrified by Regina's father! That man is pure evil! Seriously! I kinda didn't like this part of the story. I mean, sure there is probably some need for the plot to have something besides the romance, but this was rather dark and historical romances are usually just happy places for me.

But seriously, enter Puck and everything was bright and shiny again! I was also glad we got to see more of the last brother: Jack. He made a 5 second appearance in the first book and he seems like a very interesting character, so I'm very much looking forward to his story!

My rating: 4 stars

TGIF at GReads! (3)

2012-02-10T17:54:00.003+01:00

TGIF is a fun meme hosted by the love Ginger @ GReads!

This Friday's Question:

Love Stories: What are some of your favorite fictional love stories?

For a hopeless romantic like me, this is a pretty hard question ;) But I'll do my best not to rant on for too long.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Well OF COURSE I was going to put this first! It's only my favourite book of all time and the romance between Lizzie and Mr. Darcy is amazing, I love a lovestory where arguments turn into love :)

Anna and The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: seriously, THIS BOOK! Upon finishing it, I wanted to start all over again! It is amazing and I'm dying to read Lola and fall in love with Cricket :)

The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman: HEARTBREAKING! But so beautiful!

Robin Hood: I LOVE the story of Robin Hood and Marianne, though maybe not so much in the recent movie retelling (2011 I think, the one with Russel Crowe). But I've idolised this romance since I was a kid and watched the Disney version and I see no reason whatsoever to stop now :)

The love stories in romance novels I told you I was a hopeless romantic ;) My absolute favourite historical romance authors are Sarah MacLean and Sophie Jordan, these ladies know how to write good romance! And I've recently read 2 books by Julie Anne Long which were also amazing!

Let me know what some of your favourite love stories are! Do you agree with mine?

Oh, and TGIF! Seriously!

Discussion: Stress and Blogging

2012-02-09T20:25:00.006+01:00

So I remember a time way back in July 2010 when I was a naive young blogger and I thought it wouldn't be that hard. That I wouldn't be stressed out by it sometimes. That I would *always* have time to read and write posts and all that. That it would always be easy.

Yeah, I learned some things since then.

I don't mean to sound negative or discouraging, blogging is something I love with my whole heart and I plan to continue on for a long time. But it's not always easy to actually do it.

Most of you guys are probably in the same situation I'm in: having a job, going to college, having a busy family life with or without kids. And there's always the thing where sometimes other people just seem to want some of your attention. Or pets do (my parents' dogs just sit on my computer when I'm staring at it too much for their tastes). The point is: life can get in the way.
For me, that's sort of happening right now. I started a new internship on Monday and it means working 1-2 hours a day more than my last one (which amounts to 5-10 hours a week). That's a lot. Based on previous experiences this will probably mean I'm out cold come tomorrow 9PM. This also leaves me so tired sometimes that my brain can't form coherent sentences (I apologize in advance if this happens somewhere along this post). So blogging gets shoved on the backburner a bit because of this.

And if I allow myself to think about this too much, I can really freak out about it. Because I want to do EVERYTHING. Being a friend, girlfriend, daughter, sister, doctor, reader, blogger, music-lover, food-lover, shopaholic. And I want to do it all the best I can. And I could do this, if only there were about 100 hours in the day...

So yes, enter the stress. For me, the stress comes from having A LOT of books I need to read and review and not getting to them in time. From writing up the posts in time. And, because I alsy want to be a social blogger, the reading and commenting on other blog posts.
This is also meant as an apology to everyone on whose blog I haven't been leaving comments lately: I'M SORRY! I love reading everything, my mind's just been going blank lately, but I promise I'll do better!

I used to solve stress by making lists. But making lists doesn't exactly help if you can't cross off stuff on it. Then it's become a list of doom. So now I'm list-free and I just try not to stare so much at the virtual pile of egalleys I need to read. Soon. It's the world renowned ostrich-method. Works like a charm (except for those moments when I still freak out).

But mostly I just take a deep breath and try not to let it get to me. Blogging and reading are things I love and sometimes I just need to work around all the other stuff going on in my life. While I"m not someone who's easily stressed out, I can usually rationalise everything, sometimes it just gets to me a bit.

I don't know if anyone's made it all the way through my rambling, but if you did: how do you handle stress and blogging? Do you even have stress at all? Any tips that can help me on the way to zen-hood?

Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

2012-02-08T19:42:00.001+01:00

Title/Author: Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield
Publisher/Date published: WestSide Books, December 15th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher

Goodreads summary: "Caitlyn, a paranormal teen on the run with her mom as they hide from government trackers, must choose between saving herself or saving the world."

Ok, so usually a Goodreads summary is enough to give you an introduction to the book, but this time I'll have to add some. Cassie is a paranormal teen in a world where paranormals, or Paras are prosecuted and the government has hired lots of 'trackers' to neutralize the threat they pose. They even force captured Paras to help them track other Paras down. Cassie and her mom are on the run from them after her dad was killed by a mob and her brother was taken by a mystery woman.

For me, this hunting of the Paras seemed very much like the practices of the Nazis against the Jews. So yeah, it was REALLY brutal. And therefore pretty scary. Because who says that can't happen in our society? I mean, not with the paranormals, but the majority being turned against a certain group of people isn't all that hard to picture. This is a pretty dark novel overall.

I liked Caitlyn, though I did think she was a bit careless and all for a boy she knew about 2 days. I mean, being on the run half your life, literally running for your life and your mom's, isn't something to quit lightly. I did like that she was a mindreader and that she could only fully relax in the water, because it shut everything out. I also liked that she was a loyal friend and that she knew to stand up for what she believed in. I felt for her because her mother who also used to have the ability to read minds completely shut down after her dad died. And not being able to talk about all this with her mom. That really must be hard to face!
The thing is, I didn't really believe the romance and I never connected to Caitlyn herself.

We also meet Caitlyn's brother, who was taken and corrupted by a mystery Para woman. I didn't really get what his reasoning was. I mean, I get that he's been with this woman for years and that he was sort of brainwashed by her, but to me it was horrifying how he turned on his birth family.

There's this huge battle for power at the end and I just couldn't see how Cassie could be so powerful all of a sudden. Her power seemed to just expand with the demand made on it and that's a bit of a turnoff for me.
**SPOILER, light up to read**
I mean, really, her brother is tapping into the power of ALL the people in the city and she's battling with the power of just 4? REALLY? Plus, he's been storing up power for a while. I just didn't believe it.

The premise of this book was really interesting and I finished this pretty quickly. I just wished there would have been some more character development. And I would have liked to see a bit more of the developing of power in Cassie, cause it all just seemed a bit convenient. But all in all, this was an enjoyable read and it got me thinking about racism and the prosecution of minorities.

My rating: 3 stars

Ditched by Robin Mellom

2012-02-06T19:15:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, January 10th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.
Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.
And then ditched her.
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...
But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love."

I was sort of expecting a tale a la the Hangover (you guys have seen the movie right? I mean, I didn't really like it, but I was expecting something along the same lines only cute) and it turned out somewhat differently as Justina doesn't really seem to suffer from memory loss, it's just a REALLY LONG story and she tells it stain by stain.

Of course she doesn't really know exactly WHY everything happened the way it did, but after the initial moment of not remembering after she's tossed out of a car she has her facts lined up again. I was kind of sceptical about the whole just getting up after you've been dumped outside a moving car onto the concrete, but try to ignore that, as the story is cute!

Justina is adorably clueless and has a knack for getting into embarassing situations. And getting stains on her prom dress! Sometimes I thought she was a bit too clueless, especially about Ian and I wouldn't even have really blamed him for giving up on her. I mean, really, he's a teenage boy and pretty much a saint for just accepting all of what happened. I mean, I liked Justina, but she just managed to choose the wrong next step and assume the worst. I don't think she would have survived in something like the Hunger Games for 5 minutes. And that's ok, but I would have liked for her to at least sometimes be a little bit smarter about her decisions.

Anyway, apart from this, I did really think it was a cute story. Not amazing, but still enjoyable!

My rating: 3 stars

Daisy Update (5)

2012-02-05T17:37:00.003+01:00

Hi all!!

I really wanted to do an IMM today but two things happened:
1)I talked so much last night my voice is messed up and it kinda hurts to talk
2)We got home MUCH later than I expected, we were at my boyfriend's parents' house and well, let's say I thought we would have been home about 6 hours ago

This is basically what has messed up all my plan for this Sunday, except for reading :)

Last Friday was my last day at the dermatology outpatient centre and I brought cookies and got a good evaluation of my internship, so I was pretty happy! I'm starting a new internship tomorrow at a pulmonary disease department, which I hope will be as good an experience as this one was! It's always kind of scary to start a new internship to me cause of all the new people you meet, I'm a pretty shy person. So keep me in your thoughts tomorrow as I try to find my way in a new place!

On Tuesday I had dinner with a friend of mine I hadn't seen in 6 months! She's been abroad for an internship and we hadn't managed to find a day to get together before, so it was great seeing her and catching up on everything :) She had some horror stories to tell about the hospital she worked at in Ghana... (seriously, I don't ever want to have to go to a hospital there!) I got her some candy that's exclusively available around Sinterklaas, she'd come back just after and I knew she really liked them :)

You know how I said last week that I should stop ordering so many books? Yeah, I pre-ordered another one... I have no willpower whatsoever when it comes to buying books... But at least in about 6 months all will be in my home and I will be a very happy girl!

It's been really cold here and on Friday it even snowed! We've been having temperatures down to -16C at night and -6C during the day and I'm freezing all my appendages off everytime I venture outside... I wish it would hurry up and be spring already! I do not approve of this coldness.

On bookish news: I finished one book and a novella and DNF-ed one book. And I've started Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta and it is SO GOOD!! Seriously, it was recommended by Jess and Sarah J. Maas (when I mentioned I LOVED Witchlanders she said I should definitely read this one :) ) and I'm totally in love with the writing and the story! I'm about halfway through and I'm so glad I don't have to wait to read Froi of the Exiles as I have it from NetGalley :)

This week will see me preparing for the belated Christmas dinner I'm having with my friends on Saturday (we couldn't find a day to do it sooner ;)), so there will be cleaning and groceryshopping and all such fun things.
Hope you all have a great week!

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

2012-02-01T18:17:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Fire, December 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though - she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team... and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate."

Do you ever read a book that's been so hyped up and everyone's been telling you you'll absolutely love it because it's awesome? And then you don't?
Yeah, that's basically what happened for me with Catching Jordan.

I'd been reading raving reviews about this novel and I love a cute contemporary romance, so I was really excited to read this one. But it didn't really work for me, and I knew it wasn't going to pretty much from the start. I only finished it because I thought it would get better, but for me it didn't.

In the first 12 pages or so Jordan's dad managed to really piss me off by being an obnoxious ass (sorry for the wording, but he really made me see red a bit) and just a really lousy father. And there didn't seem to be a good reason for this. I mean, it's explained eventually, but really, that is a douchebag reason for not supporting your kid. Seriously.

And I'm sorry to say Jordan as a main character didn't work for me either. I thought she and the whole story of her being a girl in a men's sports was just kind of bland and the whole time it had me thinking 'wait, this is the 21st century, not the 50s!'
Also, her guy friends from the football team were so stereotypical! I mean, really, all they talk about is screwing around. With cheerleaders. And I'm not a prude, but at my high school there wasn't that much actual sleeping together going around as there is in this novel and I felt like it was handled a bit too casually.

Also, the love interest Tyler felt wrong. He and Jordan didn't seem to have a connection and he was just too overbearing for my taste. But then there's Henry, Jordan's best friend, EVERYONE and their aunt he's in love with Jordan, except for Jordan herself. I just didn't believe it. I also thought he was a bit of a jerk and making things complicated for no good reason.

And then there was the medical mistake that annoyed me: you do not make an X-ray to see if there's damage done to the ligaments or meniscus of a knee. You can't see those on them, so when they said they didn't see any damage that was probably because they didn't see ANYTHING on that. Ok, rant over.

Anyway, probably by now needless to say I was very much disappointed by Catching Jordan, because I had expected a cute contemporary romance with a kickass heroine and it just wasn't the book for me.

My rating: 1 star

Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

2012-01-30T17:22:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Touch of Power (Healer #1) by Maria V. Snyder
Publisher/Date published: Mira, December 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.
Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life..."

I am a HUGE fan of Maria V. Snyder's books and I'm happy to announce this one wasn't an exception to my love of her work! After the high of Under the Never Sky I was kind of scared to read this one after, cause usually after reading a 5 star read, I don't get that same amazement with the book I read next, but this one prooves it can absolutely be done!

I absolutely LOVED the magic system in this book! I mean, lots of times when you have healer's who perform through putting their hands on someone, they just transfer energy and the wound is gone. But in this book the healer actually takes the injuries into themselves and has the ability to heal really fast, so they don't die of wounds that are fatal to other people. Harsh, but brilliant! I also loved that as a sorcerer you pretty much had one ability or some related to your element and you didn't get the all powerful wizards that go around sometimes.

And that's not all to enjoy about this novel, I also fell in love with the characters! Avry, the main character, is a strong, smart, independant woman who knows what she wants and has the snarky thing going on. Basically I just summed up the qualities of my favourite heroines! I was kind of worried about the love interest, but though he seems like an absolute jerk at first, it turns out he's a really great guy and totally swoonworthy! So yeah, the romance made me happy as well :)

Also, I am giving a shoutout to Belen who is a brilliant papa bear and just all around wonderful guy and I just loved him! I also loved to hate some of the bad guys, which is always a bonus :) And I really liked that Avry isn't a teen, but in her early twenties, cause that's a rare age for a main character.
I'm very much intrigued by the world Snyder has created and cannot wait for the sequel, Scent of Magic, to be released so I can find out what happens next!

So, to sum it up: brilliant magic system, loveable characters, intriguing world building, GO READ IT NOW!

My rating: 5+ stars

Daisy Update (4)

2012-01-29T11:38:00.004+01:00

Hi guys! It's been two week since my last update and though not a lot has been happening, there's still some stuff I can talk about :)

As I mentioned last time, I'm still at the dermatology outpatient center and will finish up there on Friday. Which feels really weird, cause I can't believe I've already been there for 3 weeks! It's been great and I'm glad that I got to practice some skills such as stitching people up again. We really don't get a lot of chances to do this and I think it's SO important.
I ran into some patients that I knew outside the hospital setting, which is always weird for me, as it doesn't happen that often and my intern-life feels separate from my social one usually. I always try not to be the one doing the consult if this happens, cause I don't want them to feel embarassed.

Last week my friend who used to be my roommate before my boyfriend and I started living together came over for dinner and we always have such a good time together! We can just tell each other anything, I know she gets things without me having to explain a lot of extra stuff and it's great. We just talked for 4 hours straight :) I miss spending more time with her, but we're both really busy these days...

In blogging news: there's been a lot of drama going on and while I try to stay out of it, it does make me really sad sometimes. Last week I came across a blog post bashing romance novels which REALLY offended me and I'm still upset about this. It might turn into discussion topic once I've gathered my thoughts on the subject. And calmed down, cause every time I think about it I get mad again!

In budgeting and bookish news: I need to stop buying books! Seriously! I have bought a whopping 18 books as pre-orders from the Book Depository in the last 4 weeks and am waiting for one regular order to be delivered. This credit card I got is making it way to easy to just click and buy the books!
I'm REALLY excited about one: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (Goodreads). I read this one on Fictionpress way back before she decided to try to get it published (I think I was about 15 or 16 when I read it) and have been following Sarah's blog ever since to check on the progress. So I'm doing happy dances now that I know that August 7th 2012 will be the day that the whole world will finally be able to enjoy this amazing Cinderella retelling about Celaena Sardothien and all the other characters that I have come to love! I'm really looking forward to finally getting into this story again, because seriously, it has stayed with me for over 8 years! 191 days to go...

On reading: I have not been doing so well with the books I'm reading which makes me sad... But I did read a wonderful historical romance which sucked me in from the very first page! I've been gushing about it on Twitter and am excited to write the review and share it with you all! Also, Alexa talked me into reading Allegiance by Cayla Kluver off-schedule and it's GREAT! So thanks for that! :)

That's all I think, hope you all have a great week!

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2012-01-27T17:05:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1) by Veronica Rossi
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, January 3rd 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.
As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.
They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY."

So people have been going "OMG! UNDER THE NEVER SKY!" for a couple of months now. The summary left me with a big questionmark over my head, but don't let that deter you, this book is le awesome! This book was the book that after 5 books ranging from meh to really enjoyed it, got me LOVING it.

It took some time to get used to the society and we are pretty much thrown right into the action as it starts with Aria being caught in a fire and getting thrown out of Reverie. But slowly I got to know Aria and Perry and Roar and all the other characters that make this book into the wonderfulness that it was.

I absolutely LOVED Perry! And Roar! Don't get me wrong, I also loved Aria, but Perry and Roar just stole my heart. The boys are amazing and I loved how Perry struggled with his abilities and with Aria and his loyalty to his family... I felt everything right along with him and I love it when that happens! Perry had lots of amazing Perry-moments (and you guys, the moment on the tower with Aria!!), I hope you all discover them as well!

The Aether in the sky is fascinating and I'm very much hoping we'll learn more about it, like how it came into being, if it causes other things than we've already seen. But most of all I'll be reading the next book because I want to find out what happens next! And to get my Perry-fix, cause that boy ran off with my heart!

I'm happy to say this book didn't end with a cliffhanger, like so many books in series seem to do these days. So instead of making me go WHAT? NO!!! it left me with a smile on my face and an intense desire to have the next book ASAP!

My rating: 5+ stars

Desired by Nicola Cornick

2012-01-25T17:39:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Desired (The Scandalous Women of the Ton #5) by Nicola Cornick
Publisher/Date published: HQNBooks, November 29th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Her wicked ways were the talk of the ton
Teresa, Dowager Marchioness of Darent, is rumored to have exhausted her four deceased husbands with her insatiable needs. So it's no surprise that every rake in the ton wants to bed her. If they only knew... Through clever marriages to men who would ask nothing of her physical self, Tessa has remained rather innocent in the ways of the bedroom. But now she's on the verge of losing everything and wants to take care of the stepson she's grown to adore.
Enter Captain Owen Purchase. The handsome American adventurer has come into the title of Viscount Rothbury. And the rumors surrounding his injuries at sea suggest that he could fit Tessa's requirements. But little does Tessa realize that the gossipmongers are wrong. She just might lose her heart, and her desires, to the most unlikely of men..."

I really enjoyed Mistress at Midnight and Notorious by the same author, so I was hoping to enjoy this one just as much! That didn't quite work out for me, but it was still a nice read.

Mistress by Midnight got me wondering about Tessa, cause she's the sister of the heroine of that particular historical romance and she sounded absolutely intriguing. And she is! She is such a strong character and has been through a lot and basically didn't talk about it with anyone cause she felt she couldn't. Which is really sad, cause her sisters both care for her so much, especially the one she's living with.

I also really liked Owen, he's a great guy. The thing about his history with Tess's sister was a bit weird and I thought he'd made some peculiar choices, but still: he's one of the good guys. You want to trust this guy and make him trust you.

The thing that bothered me in this novel: Tess has been through a seriously traumatising sexual experience and it's left her scarred and she freezes at the mere thought of kissing anyone (this is not what bothered me, I'm getting to the point). BUT then all of a sudden she goes from being comfortable with kissing Owen to having sex with him in one day? I mean, really? It doesn't make sense AT. ALL. Seriously.

At one point I thought both Owen and Tess needed a good whack on the back of their head to get the sense back in the right place, but I did think they had great chemistry.

My rating: 3 stars

The Other Countess by Eve Edwards

2012-01-23T17:29:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Other Countess (The Lacey Chronicles #1) by Eve Edwards
Publisher/Date published: Puffin, July 1st 2010
How I got this book: bought it as a reward when I finished one of my big internships last year :)

Goodreads summary: "It's 1582 and eighteen-year-old Will Lacey's family is in trouble. After years of wasteful spending, his late father has run Lacey Hall to near ruin. Tasked with marrying his family back into fortune, the new Earl of Dorset is all set for a season at court to woo not just the Queen but potential brides with his jousting skills. But when Ellie – a strong-willed girl with nothing to her name but a worthless Spanish title – catches Will's eye, he faces a bigger battle than he could ever have anticipated."

You may have noticed I love historical romance, it is one of my favourite genres. But usually this means adult fiction. So when I saw this one, which combines historical romance with YA I knew I HAD to have it.

And really, this story is really cute! I mean, Will is a bit (well, a lot) of a jerk at first, but he learns from his behavior and he changes. For the MUCH BETTER! I mean, really, I LOVED Will once he stopped being a blind fool! He showed some real personal growth and I love it when that happens!

I really liked Ellie. She is indeed strong-willed and this book makes me SO glad to live in the 21st century! Cause really, for girls back then there weren't a whole lot of options. Ellie has the bad luck of having a scientifically-smart-but-really-oblivious-in-other-aspects-of-life father. I mean really, the man is clueless! And careless! I felt really bad for Ellie because of this.

I loved the chemistry between Will and Ellie and I also loved that she was so selfless in this that she put what would be good for him and his family first. I'm not sure I could have done that. I also really enjoyed her friendship with Jane and I'm looking forward to getting to know Jane better in the second book in the series! I really liked Jane as a character, as well as both of Will's brothers and his mother!

I did not like the stuff towards the end at Ellie's uncle's house. I also did not like that we skipped most of it and that it took so long before someone did something about it. I would have loved to at least check in sometime and feel Ellie's despair (I know, I live for the drama ;) in books, that is). I did really like the end, made me smile and I love that! :)

My rating: 4 stars

Discussion: Medicine and Fiction

2012-01-21T18:42:00.000+01:00

So you guys probably know I'm studying medicine and this always makes me a bit hesitant to read a book or watch a movie dealing with health related issues. Or at least where it's a huge part of the plot. Cause there are SO many inaccuracies there and I almost always spot them and it bothers me.

Why does this bother me? Well, I'm living and breathing this stuff sometimes 50-60 (and sometimes more) hours a week and if you can manage to research whole time periods as an author/movie/TV producer you can't tell me you can't research a disease. It sometimes seems a bit sloppy to me.

I always annoy people around me with my shouting of various forms of: 'that SO doesn't happen like that'...

Some basic examples of what has bothered me and basic stuff:

*If you're a doctor, that doesn't mean you know EVERYTHING about EVERY specialty. I mean, really, I want to be a GP, that doesn't mean I will know how to do complex surgeries. Especially not by myself.

*Not all brilliant doctors are jackasses:

I think pretty much everyone knows the character this man plays. Med School isn't very accepting of this kind of behaviour. Not even if you're a genius.

*You don't take X-rays of a head to see if there's infarction/bleeding/tumors etc. It's a CT or MRI, X-rays are for bones.

*On the same note: I read a book recently in which they checked for ligament/meniscus damage with an X-ray of the knee. You can't see those on an X-ray.

*If you're mortally wounded and will die within seconds, you usually don't have time/strength to do anything meaningful in said seconds.

*If while making love the man pulls out before the finish line so to speak, the woman can still get pregnant (this annoys me in historical romance).

*On the pregnancy theme: if it's a woman's first time giving birth, it takes hours for the baby to arrive from the first time you feel a contraction. Seriously, some take 24 hours (or even more). So the frantic screaming of 'THE BABY'S COMING' right after the water broke is a bit premature. Unless you're really lucky (but believe me, that doesn't happen a lot).

Ok, so I can't think of more examples at the moment though I'm sure I've rolled my eyes at other stuff and I can tell you more things that don't happen like they do in books/movies, but some of those have gruesome details that aren't very pleasant to discuss. I may in the future post more on this when I come across it.

So, have you ever come across anything medical-related that made you think 'wait, does that really happen like that?' or do you do the same thing when you come across stuff that's related to your line of work? Cause I'm positive mistakes aren't only made in my field ;)

Prized by Caragh M. O'Brien

2012-01-20T19:57:00.002+01:00

Title/Author: Prized (Birthmarked #2) by Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher/Date published: Roaring Book Press, November 8th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Striking out into the wasteland with nothing but her baby sister, a handful of supplies, and a rumor to guide her, sixteen-year-old midwife Gaia Stone survives only to be captured by the people of Sylum, a dystopian society where women rule the men who drastically outnumber them, and a kiss is a crime. In order to see her sister again, Gaia must submit to their strict social code, but how can she deny her sense of justice, her curiosity, and everything in her heart that makes her whole?"

**WARNING: spoilers for Birthmarked likely!**

You guys, I really liked the first book in this series and was so, SO glad that I already had this one waiting on me, because CLIFFHANGER! And I was dying to find out what would happen with the budding romance between Gaia and Leon, cause that boy totally had potential! So imagine my disappointment when it took ages for him to show up! Or maybe it just felt like ages cause I was pining for some Leon ;)

I like when it's explained why dystopian societies came to be that way and I could imagine this one forming, though I couldn't really see why they wouldn't have thought of looking for a cause for the men's infertility and the low number of girl babies being born. I mean, you're getting extinct, you could at least TRY to look interested. That said, I did get how the women were in charge and even how the Matrarc got that power. Even Gaia had trouble keeping her thoughts straight because of the Matrarc's persuasive powers. It did seem like Gaia went from a bad situation into an even worse one, because this society was just as oppressive.

And now comes one big thing I did not like:
*drumroll* the love QUADRANGLE.
Seriously.
I WTF-ed a LOT throughout all this happening. I mean, even Gaia herself said: 'I never thought I'd be part of a love quadrangle'. No shit.
I'm kinda confused how she went from no boys wanting her because of her scar and them all, except for Leon, thinking her ugly to having all the boys running after her like she's some supermodel. I found it really hard to believe. I mean, I get there weren't a lot of available girls and all that, but still. Really? I mean, REALLY? 4 guys lusting after her? REALLY? I found it hard to believe and very annoying.

Gaia herself really annoyed me for the first part of the book, as did Leon when he finally entered. Gaia seemed to be a shell of her former self and just not the strong girl I had gotten to know in the first book. I'm glad to say that she stepped up later on, but it's a real shock, especially just having finished Birthmarked. Leon seemed unreasonably mad and mean, but he finally returned to the boy I knew and liked.

So while I seriously considered throwing the book across the room for the first half, or maybe 3/4 of the book (well, not really, cause I don't want to break my e-reader), the ending turned out much better! Though I'm not sure if there's enough story left for another book, I'll be sure to pick it up when it get released!

My rating: 3 stars

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

2012-01-18T17:59:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Birthmarked (Birthmarked #1) by Caragh M. O'Brien
Publisher/Date published: Roaring Book Press, March 30th 2010
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "In the Enclave, your scars set you apart, and the newly born will change the future.
Sixteen-year-old Gaia Stone and her mother faithfully deliver their quota of three infants every month. But when Gaia's mother is brutally taken away by the very people she serves, Gaia must question whether the Enclave deserves such loyalty. A stunning adventure brought to life by a memorable heroine, this dystopian debut will have readers racing all the way to the dramatic finish."

When I started reading this book, I sure hadn't expected it to turn out the way it did and it was different in a very good way!

I mean, I've read plenty of dystopians before and some basic things are the same in most of them: lots have a girl protoganist, oppressive society, girl at first adhering to the rules, discovering life-changing things about evil-doing society and then trying to bring it down/getting arrested etcera. And there's usually a cute boy somewhere mixed in the plot. And while I love this theme, there has to be something extra for the book to stand out. And fortunately, this book did.

I loved Gaia! She's such a strong character and I love that she doesn't always make the right decision and isn't always on her very best behavior. She learns not to take everything at face value and learns the shock of betrayal. At first I was a bit surprised at her skill as a midwive, until I realised she'd been training for 5 years under her mother and well, you're bound to pick up stuff. I loved how much Gaia cared about her family and her friends.

I really enjoyed the writing and how easy everything flowed. There's a real build-up of tension and I was really glad I had the sequel lined up at that ending, cause seriously, CLIFFHANGER!

And yes, there was also the cute boy. And he WAS a cute boy! I mean, he's got the whole rebel thing down in the end and he's all troubled boyness *sigh*. He didn't always get it right, but I really liked him.
I also thought it was interesting that Gaia is very obviously scarred and doesn't have a whole following of drooling boys and I'd already guessed at the truth behind her scar, cause the events didn't really add up.

I would have liked to know more about how the dystopian society got to be that way. I mean, what happened to the world to cause it? Maybe we'll find out as the series continues.

My rating: 4 stars

My Very UnFairytale Life by Anna Staniszewski

2012-01-16T17:57:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: My Very UnFairytale Life by Anna Staniszewski
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky, November 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: ""You know all those stories that claim fairies cry sparkle tears and elves travel by rainbow? They're lies. All lies."—Twelve-year-old Jenny has spent the last two years as an adventurer helping magical kingdoms around the universe. But it's a thankless job, leaving her no time for school or friends. She'd almost rather take a math test than rescue yet another magical creature! When Jenny is sent on yet another mission, she has a tough choice to make: quit and have her normal life back, or fulfill her promise and go into a battle she doesn't think she can win."

I love the concept of this book! I mean, seriously, who didn't dream of being sucked into a fairytale world and helping out magical worlds as a parttime job? I sure did (ok, I'll admit I still do). And to have it then backfire and leave you wishing for a normal life, very interesting! And a good example of the grass is always greener and all that.

I thought Jenny was a good person, if slightly naive and not always reasonable. But hey, she's 12 and she's allowed to be all that. And she apparantly was an extremely talented Adventurer. And while I get that this is an MG in which a kid is usually the hero, I didn't really understand why they didn't have more grown-ups to at least helpt the kids. I mean, I would have liked if there had been some sort of explanation for this.

I really liked Prince Lamb and was actually kind of disappointed that he didn't stay human because I thought he would make a wonderful boyfriend for Jenny. I thought the whole thing with the kingdom of Speak being under a curse that made them loose their mouth and the mystery around the bad guy was really good and there were some very funny moments in the book.

I am kind of wondering if this will turn out to be a series, though I can't find anything on it on Goodreads at the moment. There is some definite potential there!
This was a quick, cute read, it's not amazing, but definitely enjoyable!

My rating: 3 stars

Daisy Update (3)

2012-01-15T16:59:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone!

So it's been over a month since I last did one of these and it's actually quite shocking, cause I really thought it'd been only two weeks or something like that...
But let me start by saying I had a wonderful two weeks off from work and interships over Christmas break, just relaxing and reading and drinking lots of tea :) And cleaning up a bit, cause seriously, I hadn't been folding laundry for a LONG time. You know how it goes, you need the drying rack for a new batch and the one that was on it gets thrown over a chair cause you'll 'fold it in a minute'. Yeah, doesn't happen.

Me and my friends from high school had a blast on New Year's Eve going to a bar and hanging out! It's such a shame we don't do stuff like that more often, cause I really love spending time with my girls :)

I tried to plan a Christmas/New Year's dinner with my friends from college, but we don't seem to be able to find a day we can all make it :( But instead I had a high tea with two of them last Sunday cause we didn't want to wait for another month before doing something together. And when we discovered the shops were open that Sunday, we of course went shopping before getting to the lovely food! I got two pretty bags on sale and I'm so happy with them! And yes, obviously I needed them... I also got two pairs of earrings and two cardigans. It seemed to be the day to buy stuff in pairs ;)

One of my bags, only mine is greyish instead of black. Can you see the flower attached to it? :)

I've started a new internship this Monday and so far it's been great! It's at a dermatology outpatient centre and I've been learning a lot and seeing lots of patients, so yeah, good internship! Friday I had half a day off cause there wasn't enough to do for all of us and I think this will probably my last unexpected day off ever. So I made sure to treasure the moment!

I was really tired on Friday as I need to get used to getting up early again, also one of my friend's turned 25 on Wednesday and of course I stayed at her place too long playing SingStar! I totally rocked it, though it's NOT pretty, cause I can't sing to save my life, but we had so much fun!

On bookish news: I've been buying SO MANY of them. Seriously, about a week and a half ago I placed an order for 12 books. One of them has already gotten here, the rest are either on their way or pre-orders. I totally pre-ordered Pandemonium and Fever in hardcover, cause I knew I wouldn't be able to wait for them to be released in paperback and I NEED those books! The wait is slowly killing me.

Readingwise I haven't been doing so great. I have already read 9 books since the start of 2012, but only 2 of those were 5 star reads (Under the Never Sky and Touch of Power, they were AMAZING!) and three were 1 star reads. I don't know what's going on, but I keep reading books that don't really work for me and it makes me sad. But today I finished a 4 star read, so hopefully I'm back on the right track.

Also, I want to give a shoutout to Alexa and Jana for being my bookish sisters and cause I love talking to them on Twitter and if you don't read their blogs you should totally check them out!

So, that's about 4 weeks of business summed up. Let me know what you've been up to!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

2012-01-14T11:49:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Publisher/Date published: Dutton, December 2nd 2010
How I got this book: I bought it as a reward for myself for finishing my last internship :)

Goodreads summary: "Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.
As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near - misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?"

I very much realise that I'm probably the last person on this planet to read Anna. I do. But I finally caved in to peer pressure and read it, and let me tell you that I thought it was FANTASTIC!!

Seriously, I was one of those who cover-snobbed this book. Because really, while I have gotten used to it now, it is really cheezy and it doesn't scream YOU WILL LOVE ME, at least not to me. But I did love this book! And I can't believe I didn't read it sooner, but now at least everyone can stop yelling at me ;)

I loved this book so much I don't want to pick it apart in a review, so I'm just gonna say that I loved Anna and Etienne and their relationship and how it evolved from friends to more. The last part had me in a reading frenzy, cause even though I KNEW it would all end happily ever after, I needed to actually experience it before I could go to sleep.

I read this book all in one day. On Christmas Day. In between eating, unwrapping gifts and spending time with my family and boyfriend. And I couldn't have picked a better read. It was lovely and sweet and romantic and now all I want to do is go order Lola and the Boy Next Door. Which I will once my credit card is ok-ed.
I think I have found a new auto-buy author :)

My rating: 5+ stars

Too Wicked To Wed by Cara Elliott

2012-01-12T18:03:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Too Wicked To Wed by Cara Elliott
Publisher/Date published: Forever, November 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Outspoken and independent, Lady Alexa Bingham enjoys the heady freedom of making all her own decisions, even though the challenges of overseeing her family's country estate are daunting. But when a chance encounter with London's most notorious rake awakens a secret longing for adventure, she accepts her aunt's invitation for a Season in Town . . . only to find that breaking the rules of the ton has serious consequences.
The Earl of Killingworth uses his rakehell reputation to hide the fact that poverty has forced him to work for a living. As the owner of a gambling den and brothel, Connor has no time for glittering ballrooms or innocent young ladies. But after a reckless wager leaves him with a new business partner, he is forced to take a risky gamble... Will the cards fall in their favor? Alexa and Connor begin to play a dangerous game of intrigue and deception as they seek to outwit a cunning adversary who wants to put them permanently out of business. But if they are not careful, it is the flames of their own fiery attraction that may destroy them."

If you ever decide to read this book, you should know that the first couple of pages shouldn't discourage you. I felt thrown right in the middle of a story and it was disorienting and confusing at first. And I had a WTF?? moment. But after that it got much better. MUCH BETTER!

I really, genuinely liked Alexa. Sure, she didn't always seem to think her actions through, but at least she DID something! Instead of simpering in a corner waiting for someone to look for her, she dresses up as a boy, enters a men's club and manages to win half a business playing cards. And makes the decision to actually hold onto that half. Which makes for some very interesting clashes with our hero.

What I also liked about Alexa is that she's truly capable. She has been taking care of business on the family estate for years, so she knows about expenses and everything that comes with running something. And she has great business ideas it turns out. I also loved that she wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty.

I'm not entirely sure what made our hero lock away his heart, but he definitely did. He blows hot and cold and Alexa doesn't know what to make of it, and I didn't either for some time. But of course we learn his true feelings in the end. I liked that though he created scandal, he was also really good for his employees and honorable, you just had to look a little deeper to see all this.

I really liked the tension between the two and something I also really enjoyed: there was some humour infused now and then. I also really liked Connor's friends and am looking forward to reading their own lovestories (at least, I imagine that there will be more books featuring them).

Towards the end I did want to whack Alexa over the head, because seriously, how could she be so stupid to get herself into SO much trouble and endanger her life? I mean, seriously? That woman she trusted in had 'bad news' written all over her. And I thought the bad guy's motive was pretty crappy. But other than that this was a really enjoyable read and perfect for the days around Christmas in my opinion.

My rating: 4 stars

Darker Still by Leanne Renee Hieber

2012-01-09T18:09:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Darker Still (Magic Most Foul #1) by Leanna Renee Hieber
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Fire, November 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...
Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul."

I was SO looking forward to this book and with all the buzz about it and all the Denbury fans out there, I'd anticipated falling in love with both the story and the guy. And then I didn't. It's not that I didn't like the book, cause I did, but it wasn't as mindblowing as I had expected it to be.

I didn't connect with Natalie, I think it might be because of the way the story was told: in diary form. And this takes away the edge of my seat experience that could have easily been there, because I know that if she's writing it down, she must be someplace safe and thus everything she relates will work out fine.

I did think it was really interesting that Natalie was mute, I'd never considered that way back when they were shunned and considered freaks. And I think the whole idea of trapping someone in a painting and then inhabiting their body and do all kinds of nasty things was amazingly evil! The only thing I never did really get is why they targeted Jonathan in the first place. I mean, I 'get' it, but it doesn't really make sense for them to have their first victim in England and then to cross to America. But maybe that's just me, I'd be a lazy villain probably ;)

I liked the romance between Jonathan and Natalie, I just didn't love it. I also felt the story moved a bit too slow for me. And the actual vanquishing of the bad guy was a little too easy in my opinion.
But I did like the story and it will be interesting to see what happens next.

My rating: 3 stars

Discussion: DNF-ing

2012-01-07T16:15:00.000+01:00

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably already know that the last two books I read were disappointments. And with one I even went as far as DNF-ing it.

*To DNF: to not finish a book you started reading

I always, ALWAYS feel sad when I do this. I never used to in the past, cause I feel frustrated not knowing how it ends. Or there's the chance of missing out on a great book if it picks up. Those are both things that make me hesitant to DNF a book. But with the amount of books I have both on my e-reader and on my shelf and the limited amount of time I have nowadays to actually do my reading, I've become for lack of a better word 'better' at DNF-ing.

I don't want to read something I don't like. It's as simple as that. I do a lot of things I HAVE to do for my internships and life in general, reading should always be something I WANT to do and not something I force myself to do. So now when I don't feel excited about continuing with a book, I ask myself if it would be better to DNF it and move onto something that I will enjoy.

Sometimes I'm not invested in a story enough to want to continue, sometimes it annoys me so much I want to throw the book across the room. A sure-fire way for this to happen is to have a whiny protagonist. Things that are also discouraging to me: insta-love in the first 15 pages (I mean, seriously?), unbelievable storylines, insta-power (instant mastering of complex skills with no good explanation for why this happens), the main character attracting 5 love interests, nothing happening for 200 pages. There can be any number of things going on, but most important: I find myself not enjoying the book.

I always try to make it to 100 pages to give a book a fair chance. I mean, that's about 2 hours of my life, I can usually pull through to do that. Sometimes I dislike the book so much I only make it to 50. And I think only once or twice I've closed a book after 5 pages.

But then comes the next part: I'm a blogger, what do you do with books you DNF?

I've seen some bloggers post periodically about the books they DNF-ed. Some choose to review them. Some rate them on Goodreads.
As for me, I don't post reviews on the books I DNF-ed because I feel I can't do that based on 50-100 pages. I do however rate them on Goodreads. It could be argued that's not fair if it's not based on the full novel, but I think it also means something if I dislike it enough to DNF, because then I REALLY disliked the book. If there's any hope it will turn up for me, I keep reading.

So, what about you guys? Do you DNF books? Feel horribly guilty and sad about it (like me)? Do you review/rate them?

Bloodspell by Amalie Howard

2012-01-06T14:37:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Bloodspell (Bloodspell #1) by Amalie Howard
Publisher/Date published: Langdon Street Press, May 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "The spell was simple...
Cruentus Protectum (Defend the Blood)
But what do you do if your blood is your enemy?
Victoria Warrick has always known she was different. An outcast at school, she is no stranger to adversity. But when she receives an old journal for her seventeenth birthday, nothing prepares her for the dark secrets it holds -- much less one that reveals she's a witch with unimaginable power.
What's more, when she meets the dazzling but enigmatic Christian Devereux, she has no idea how much her life is about to change. Enemies will hunt her. Friends will turn on her. The terrible curse that makes her blood run black will stop at nothing to control her. And Christian has a sinister secret of his own...
Without knowing whom to trust, can Victoria survive her blood's deadly desires? Or will she lose everything, including herself?"

Ok, so this book and I struggled with each other. And I mean, we REALLY struggled. Complete with hissing and raising of fur and all that. I'd been looking forward to reading this one and I regret saying it turned out not to be my kind of book.

The concept is absolutely fascinating, I mean, the magic being infused in your blood and actually turning it black instead of the more natural red color and it having a will of its own, FASCINATING! I'm just disappointed at the actual story.

I know you can be a natural at something, I do, but when generations and generations of witches before you have failed to control this dangerous magic in your blood, you can't tell me you learn to master it in a heartbeat. And almost killing and then saving your immortal boyfriend doesn't count as losing control. And I know Victoria had her familiar help her a bit with the training and all, but there's not a lot going on there or it's not shown in the book at least. And I like it when it's shown.

Also, I had a hard time getting into the Twilight-esque romance. I really don't like comparing anything to Twilight, cause it leaves a bad taste, but a 180 year old vampire falling in love with a 17 year old girl and her blood being almost irresistible to him and all? Yeah, kinda reminded me of it.

And all the teenagers in this book be CRAZY! Seriously. Victoria turns a boy down, he decides to try and kill her. And **SPOILER** he turns out to be a warlock as well****. And there's the whole thing with the girl who's in love with said boy and also goes psycho. Sometimes I didn't know if I was reading about a high school or a mental institution.

I did really like the whole history of Victoria's powers and it would have been really interesting to find out more about what exactly happened to her great-great-great-great grandmother.

But in the end the characters annoyed me too much and I was going WTF??? a bit too often, this book just wasn't for me.
My rating: 1 star

To Pleasure a Duke by Sara Bennett

2012-01-04T11:25:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: To Pleasure a Duke (The Husband Hunter Club #3) by Sara Bennett
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, November 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "It has taken Eugenie Belmont but a moment to decide whom to marry...
Unfortunately the gentleman in question, the Duke of Somerton, hasn’t yet offered — a mere formality for a confirmed member of the Husband Hunters Club of Miss Debenham’s Finishing School. Like her friends, Eugenie is unwilling to wait demurely until the perfect mate happens by. And, despite the handsome duke’s imposing reputation, she can feel his heated glances in her direction are charged with desire... and possibilities.
Saddled with a dukedom, a haughty dowager, and an irresponsible younger sister, Sinclair St. John is far too occupied with important matters to indulge in romantic whims. But for the first time in his life, a brazen temptress has him utterly distracted. He could — and he should — dismiss her and court someone more befitting his station. But he is irresistibly drawn to this bewitching woman... and must match her game of seduction, move for passionate move."

It's always a good time for historical romances in my opinion, but this time of year with all the cold and the lighting of candles at night and just the general urge to stay inside makes me crave them even more. And this one delivered!

At first I was a bit worried, cause the duke in question really annoyed me with the constant curling of his lip at everything. I mean, obnoxious much? But I'm glad to say Eugenie managed to make him mend his ways pretty soon. He was still haughty and snobbish, but with less lipcurling, so I was good with it.

I really liked Eugenie, I liked how she knew what she wanted and though she knew they were to different in social status for him to propose without scandal, she refused to settle for being his mistress. You go girl! I also liked that her imagination tended to run away with her and get her into trouble.

I SO hated the duke's mother!! I mean, really woman? Discouraging your son from doing things he loves because you don't approve? BAD PARENTING! His sister was also annoying, but more spoiled princess than anything else. I warmed up toward the duke himself over the course of the story, but he was definitely not swoon at first sight for me.

I really enjoyed this novel and the tension between the two main characters was wonderful!
My rating: 4 stars

2012 Looking Ahead, Back and Things I'd Like To Do

2012-01-03T13:00:00.004+01:00

So I'm a bit late with the 2012 resolutions, as everyone seemed to have theirs ready weeks ago. The problem is: I'm not really one for new year's resolutions. I am one of those persons who needs to actually accomplish those goals once set and I didn't really want to add the stress of not meeting them to the stress of juggling work, a social life, reading and blogging. And with the high expectations I have of myself, I just usually don't feel like adding to them at the start of the year. That said, I think I might just make some this year ;)

Looking Ahead
2012 will be the year I graduate from Med School. Which is exciting and scary and making me want to run around in circles from the sheer hugeness of it. This also means it will be the year I go jobhunting and assuming I land one, get to work for about 60 hours a week at the very minimum. Which means I will have even more stress juggling ALL THE THINGS.
I am excited and terrified at the same time, I keep reminding myself that I will FINALLY be a legit doctor and that makes up for most of it.

2012 will also be the year I expect that the boyfriend and I will buy a car. I don't think I've actually owned anything that expensive or moneydraining before.
If all goes well, it will also be the year we move to another apartment or small house, but that may have to wait till 2013. If we move to another place, it will also be the year I will convince my boyfriend to get a dog. Or a bunny if the dog-plan fails. My boyfriend isn't convinced we need pets at all, but I want something fluffy to pet and feed and love and I've always had pets at my parents'!

Looking Back
2011 was a year of many things:
I found out what I want to do with my career after Med School.
I found out what I definitely NOT want to do after I finish Med School (research *shudders*).
It was also the year I read 178 books. I don't think I will ever be able to reach this number again, but it makes me immensely proud and slightly dizzy from the sheer amount of it!
It was the year I convinced myself that it's ok to DNF a book that is not working for me instead of pushing myself to finish it even though it's got me actually disliking reading.
It was the year I decided to step into the 21st century and join Twitter.
It was also the year I met wonderful new blogging friends and further got to know others: Alexa (who loves the same books I do and shares my passion for cute dresses, good food and tea), Alex (the only one I can talk to about ANTM and who freaks out with me over it! As well as Gossip Girl), Kelly A. (my A Song of Ice and Fire reading buddy, who sadly doesn't have a personal blog anymore), Sarah (who shares my love for Jemisin's Inheritance trilogy and who I love to disagree with on the topic of ereaders ;) ), Jess (who has already made me buy a couple of books through her recommendations) and last but certainly not least Jana (who is a fellow Austenland fan and is half Dutch, which is just plain awesome). I'm thankful to have gotten to know you all and all the other wonderful people in this blogosphere!

So those were all good things that happened in 2011.
Of course not everything was rainbows and unicorns, most importantly there was a huge change in my group of friends I've known since high school and I had a hard time with that. One decided to step out of our group for the time being, one I decided to give up on because she doesn't really seem to care and I'd rather spend my time on people who do and one tried to return to our group after an absence of 4 years and pretended like everything was ok when she really hurt me back then (yeah, it doesn't really work like that, at least not for me).

What I'd like to do in 2012
I want to make this non-stress inducing, so I'm not setting goals, just things I'd like to do/try:

-Continue with the series I started in 2011: I am so bad with just reading review books and I need to let myself spend time on those books I've been craving for a year.
-Read books that I bought for myself: while I love all the opportunity of reading so many books for review, I have a whopping 149 books that I physically own that are waiting for me to find the time to read them on my shelf. I need to feel less guilty for slipping those in, cause I BOUGHT (or made other people buy) them and I want to read them.
-Not wait more than a week after finishing a book before I review it.
-Spend less time stalking NetGalley and request less books: because seriously, the sheer amount of them is overwhelming.
-Do other posts than just reviews: I sometimes participate in memes and I've recently starting doing Daisy Updates, but I'd love to do discussion posts, because you know, I haz opinions and all that.
-Leave more comments on other people's blogs: I love receiving comments myself, so I should be commenting more as well.

I think that's enough for now :) I would like to say I could try to buy less books, but seriously, that's not a goal I can hope to accomplish. Especially not when 2012 will be the year I start making money and won't need to budgetize as much anymore.

So, what are your goals/things you'd like to try? Any other suggestions? Or tips on how to achieve this?

Crave by Melissa Darnell

2012-01-02T16:38:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Crave (The Clann #1) by Melissa Darnell
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin Teen, October 25th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.
For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back... different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences..."

So I really enjoyed this book! I was thinking this would either work really well or fail epicly. I'm glad it was the first one :)

It was refreshing that in this paranormal romance for once the boy isn't the only one in the relationship who is a paranormal being! I loved that Savannah was dhampir, both witch and vampire combined and noone really knew how to deal with this. Though I thought Savannah was pretty smart about some stuff and I liked her, I couldn't believe some of the things she did.

I mean, sure you may not like your vampire dad very much and I get that when you're mad at him you don't go running to him to ask him questions about the whole vampire being business. BUT we no longer live in caves and have this wonderful thing called the internet. Yes, really. It's shocking, I know. I mean, if Tristan's sister can figure out all the stuff about dhampirs by googling for about an hour, I'm sure Savannah could have too. I mean, she was experiencing serious discomfort from the effect of her gaze on people and didn't even think to investigate? And really, she's been kissing Tristan for a while and never questions why he's so weak after it every time??? I mean, COME ON!! Also, I'm betting her mom and grandma knew at least a little about it, so really, there's no good excuse for this ignorance.

Ok, rant over.

I did really enjoy the chemistry between Tristan and Savannah and I liked that they had history together. I thought a couple of sidecharacter Clann kids were too two-dimensional, but I did really like Savannah's best friend Anne, she was awesome! And Savannah's grandma was cool as well :) I love grandmothers in stories!

I was really shocked at the events towards the end of the book and I'm dying to find out what happens next! Both with Tristan and Savannah and with the rest of her family! And I'm looking forward to further exploring all the possibilities that come with being a dhampir!

My rating: 4 stars

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T10:59:00.004+01:00

I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year!!
I'm kind of wondering why I'm awake, as it's 11AM and I went out with friends last night till 5.30AM... Yes, I slept a little over 4 hours, I'm not sure how that happened...
Today will be a day of lots of my boyfriend's family and food and all that, so I'm hoping to get through it without falling asleep at inconvenient moments.

I hope you all have a lovely day!!

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

2011-12-30T13:45:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, January 17th 2012
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose — the task she was put on earth to accomplish — is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning."

**WARNING: spoilers for Unearthly are very much possible!**

Let me give a hooray for the first 2012 release I have read! I totally went off-schedule for this one because I'd been reading some 'meh' books and decided I needed to get out of my reading slump. And I'm so glad I made the time to read this already!!

As you may know, I LOVED Unearthly! I gushed about it in my review and I think it will make my favourites of 2011 list. It was THAT good. So I was really excited to read more about Clara and Tucker and everyone.

Other bloggers who already read this told me there wasn't a lot of Tucker in this one and I'm kind of glad I knew beforehand, because I love Tucker and would have been very disappointed otherwise. So be warned!

In Unearthly there was a sense of hope and excitement about the upcoming moment for Clara to face her purpose, this one is a lot darker and has more sorrow in it. And I FELT the sadness, I hate it when a story is all 'sad things are happening, be sad', this one made me feel it without seeming like I got pushed into it. If you get what I mean. I'm not sure I'm being coherent about this...

Anyway, I think Clara very much grew stronger in this one and while I'm thinking book 3 will give us some real action, this didn't feel as a filler. I'm glad we got to know more about the whole angel-lore and got to meet Clara's father, cause I'd been wondering about him.

The only thing I didn't like was that there's a definite love triangle going on here and while it is well done, I feel like I'm rooting for the underdog. And while I do get what's happening and how things could end up like this, it's got me feeling sad and a bit brokenhearted. I am however glad that Clara feels the same way. She's not really fine with the triangle either and this makes me like her even more.

I warmed up to Christian as we got to know him more, I liked him in Unearthly and in this one discovered he has some really nice qualities and I'm not talking about his hotness, even though that never hurt anyone ;)

And yes, I'm going to say it: TEAM TUCKER! Most mostly team Clara! Because I love her and am looking forward to the untitled third book in this series!

My rating: 5 stars

All the Pleasures of the Season by Lecia Cornwall

2011-12-28T16:00:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: All the Pleasures of the Season
Publisher/Date published: Avon Impulse, December 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "On the first day of Christmas:
Lady Miranda Archer accepts a marriage proposal.
On the first day of Christmas, fifteen minutes later:
Miranda realizes she’s made a huge mistake.
For the next twelve days:
Miranda must find a way out of her engagement — which is harder than it looks, especially since her fiancé is pompous, mean, and desperate for her family’s jewels — and convince her true love that all she wants for Christmas is him."

I almost never read Christmassy books. But I REALLY liked this one!

So Lady Miranda is a girl who has a big sense of duty and wants to please her grandfather and all. Which is why she seems like a total pushover when we first meet her. Cause seriously, getting engaged to a man she hardly knows well enough to share a dance with, let alone a life? That's just a recipe for disaster. Well except for the romance novels where said gentleman is actually the hero of the novel. But that is definitely not the case here!

Cause seriously, her fiancé is as ass!! And how naive can you be to hand over your very expensive earrings, cause he says they need 'new casing'? I mean, really?

I really liked the hero and I loved how Miranda's sister was cornering him after Miranda left for her grandfather's, her sister basically cowed him into riding aft her immediately! :)

There was also the first chapter of another novel of the author included, centering around Miranda's brother and his wife and it was wonderful! It's called Secrets of a Proper Countess and I'm dying to get my hands on it, cause it's a full length novel, this one was a novella and I'm anticipating sexytimes and wonderful tension and intrigue and everything!

My rating: 4 stars

Top Ten Books of 2011

2011-12-27T13:25:00.004+01:00

Look at me being all featured on The Broke and the Bookish!!

But just in case you missed it ;) I'll crosspost my list here.

I hope you have all recovered from the food-induced sleepiness that is always sure to hit me at Christmas and have had a wonderful time with your loved ones!

On to the business part of this Top Ten Tuesday, this week's topic:
The Top Ten books you read in 2011

This is gonna be hard for me, cause I want to list so many, but here goes.

1. The Wise Man's Fear by Patrick Rothfuss: I have waited SO LONG for this book!! And it was AMAZING! If you haven't read the first book in this series, the Name of the Wind, and you enjoy fantasy, you should read it, cause it's awesome! Also, I need the next book, like yesterday!

2. The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab: this book! THIS BOOK! It was so insanely amazing I wrote a gushing review about it! This book made me believe in fairytales again and it was wonderfully beautiful!

3. Witchlanders by Lena Coakley: EPIC FANTASY! I love fantasy, as you can probably guess from my list and this one was fabulous! I wonder how this has not gotten a lot of buzz, cause it's amazing! This is a book I want to shove at everyone and make them read it, and bonus: this book works for boys as well as girls. Virtually no romance, but lots of amazing storytelling.

4. Delirium by Lauren Oliver: I was a bit hesitant to read this at first, but OMG, this was SO GOOD! I didn't want to stop reading this and the ending left me needing cuddles and wishing I already had the next one waiting for me, cause this wait is SLOWLY KILLING ME! I am so pre-ordering Pandemonium...

5. The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley: this book took me by surprise, as I hadn't expected to love it so much! It is a pretty clean historical and contemporary romance novel as the main character travels back and forth in time and it is simply wonderful! I felt shocked, I cried, I was yelling for them to KISS ALREADY!! And I didn't care it got me funny looks!

6. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson: another fantasy, this was a good fantasy year it seems ;) I LOVED this book! It has a strong female lead and I'm dying to find out what happens next for Elisa! The Godstone is fascinating!

7. The Demon King, The Exiled Queen and the Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima: I am naming the whole series, because it was fabulous! And another series I would give to a boy (I'm making my boyfriend read them right now). I love the main characters Han and Raisa! They are both so beyond amazing! And I love to hate the 'bad guys' in this one, which is always fun :)

8. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand: so, confession: angel books haven't really been working so well for me, but THIS ONE DID!! Seriously, there's virtually no preaching and Clara is wonderful and I am so Team Tucker with his amazing boy-ness being swoonworthy and all! I have been lucky enough to have already read Hallowed, and it is also amazing!

9. The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin: I have fallen in love with this whole series and I think I can safely say this one is my favourite of the trilogy! It focuses on Sieh and is just wonderful. I read this during the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-Thon and didn't once feel the inclination to sleep. It was THAT good.

10. Die For Me by Amy Plum: REVENANTS! They are SO cool! Seriously, I loved this book! I am also so pre-ordering Until I Die :)

And, cause you really didn't think I could narrow it down to just 10 (you didn't right?:

11. Princess for Hire and The Royal Treatment by Lindsey Leavitt: SO EXTREMELY CUTE! These are the first 2 books in a MG series and it is fabulous! I love the whole idea of substituting for princesses! I wish I had a little girl in my life I could give these books to!

12. Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George: another MG and ADORABLE! I had a huge grin on my face while I was reading this and I loved every minute of it! As the abovementioned Princess for Hire series, I would love to have a little girl I could give this to!

So, that's my list. How does yours compare? There are lots of books I think I'll see on all of your lists that have not made mine for the simple fact that I have not read them yet (I am thinking Divergent, Daughter of Smoke and Bone, Shatter Me, Lola and the Boy Next Door, The Night Circus...). Let's hope they're on next year's list :)

Happy Holidays!!

2011-12-24T13:28:00.005+01:00

I wanted to wish you all a very merry Christmas if you celebrate it and I hope you will all get to spend time with your loved ones!

I am going to my parents' house in a couple of hours and on the second day of Christmas we will be at my boyfriend's parents' house. Probably eating lots of food and just having a good time :)
Every year I try to make it a rule to not be on the internet during Christmas, but to just spend time with my family. I sometimes make an exception, but mostly I won't be around. So see you on the 27th! Best wishes to you everyone!!

Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George

2011-12-22T15:29:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury Children's Books, October 25th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Tuesdays at Castle Glower are Princess Celie's favorite days. That's because on Tuesdays the castle adds a new room, a turret, or sometimes even an entire wing. No one ever knows what the castle will do next, and no one - other than Celie, that is - takes the time to map out the new additions. But when King and Queen Glower are ambushed and their fate is unknown, it's up to Celie, with her secret knowledge of the castle's never-ending twists and turns, to protect their home and save their kingdom."

THIS BOOK! Seriously, THIS BOOK! It was so extremely CUTE and awesome! If I had a little sister or cousin or any little girl in my life right now, I would give it to her. You want the little girls you know to read this book. Little boys too, though this feels to me more like something a girl would enjoy.

Almost the whole time I was reading this, I had a big smile on my face! It was adorable and funny and I loved how strong Celie and her brother and sister were, faced with everything! I mean, I don't know if I could have done all that if I was supposed to run a castle without my parents suddenly.

And the castle, seriously, the castle is AWESOME! I mean, really, living in something that is alive and thinking and adding rooms! And especially changing them so the luxury of your room showed how much it liked you! AMAZING! I LOVED the castle! And I loved that the castle loved Celie and vice versa.

And if you have a faded stuffed toy that changed into a real lion? You've got me! I so recognized the being teased about the faded, loved, old toy. And really, I just loved Celie, our main character. She was fabulous and such a caring, intelligent girl. I love smart girls!

I had never read a book by Jessica Day George before, but after this, I'll be sure to again. And you should all as well!

My rating: 5+ stars

The Maid by Kimberly Cutter

2011-12-20T17:39:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Maid by Kimberly Cutter
Publisher/Date published: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 18th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "It is the fifteenth century and the tumultuous Hundred Years War rages on. France is under siege, English soldiers tear through the countryside destroying all who cross their path, and Charles VII, the uncrowned king, has neither the strength nor the will to rally his army. And in the quiet of her parents’ garden in Lorraine, a peasant girl sees a spangle of light and hears a powerful voice speak her name. Jehanne.
The story of Jehanne d'Arc, the visionary and saint who believed she had been chosen by God, who led an army and saved her country, has captivated our imagination for centuries. But the story of Jeanne - the girl - whose sister was murdered by the English, who sought an escape from a violent father and a forced marriage, who taught herself to ride and fight, and who somehow found the courage and tenacity to convince first one, then two, then thousands to follow her, is at once thrilling, unexpected and heart-breaking. Rich with unspoken love and battlefield valor, The Maid is a novel about the power and uncertainty of faith, and the exhilarating and devastating consequences of fame."

I REALLY wanted to love this book. Really, I did. Because I am fascinated by the tragic story of Joan of Arc and had learned a little about her in another historical romance novel I read (The Lady of the Rivers, which was awesome by the way!). But something was missing for me.

I think it was the fact that I never connected with Jehanne. I felt so disconnected that I didn't feel her joy or her fear or really anything. I didn't really get why everyone was so impressed with her either based on this book. I mean, if someone where to come up to me and tell me she was send by voices to take back France, I'd say 'U-huh, forgot to take your cray-cray pills?'. But I know one person can convince a LOT of people even if you go 'wait, what?' at what they're saying, I mean we've seen it often enough in history. But I just didn't believe from this novel Jehanne was the person to do this. The only thing the author mentioned what happened that made people follow her was that she put her 'godvoice' on. This was not convincing to me.

I did think that we followed Jehanne through it all and I think that the added bit of her telling it when she is in prison gave it a little extra something. I also liked that Cutter gave Jehanne feeling I would expect from a girl her age, especially about boys. I mean, sure divine coaching is amazing, but how about the earthly needs?

I did like learning more about this amazing historical figure and wondering if she indeed actually heard the voice of god and his angels or if she was what we nowadays would lable as schizofrenic. I do believe that Jehanne is a tragic figure and a great crime has been done against her.

My rating: 2,5 stars

IMM Vlog (5)

2011-12-18T11:47:00.000+01:00

As always, IMM is hosted by the wonderful Kristi from The Story Siren!

WON:
The Queen's Mistake by Diane Haeger
THANK YOU to Diane Haeger and the hosts of Dewey's Readathon!

This Is Not Forgiveness by Celia Rees
Thank you Vickie @ Coma Calm's Corner!

FOR REVIEW:
Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield
Dark Lake by Louise Gaylord

BOUGHT:
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

I don't have a lot of time, so I know I said I would list all my NetGalley books, but I'm just gonna highlight a few:

NETGALLEY:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
New Girl by Paige Harbison
Slide by Jill Hathaway
Shadows on the Moon by Zoë Marriott
A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean (Her Love By Numbers series is FABULOUS! If you like historical romance at all, you should read her books!)

This is about 3-4 weeks worth of books :) I'm excited to read all and excited to re-read Unearthly, cause it's wonderful!

What did you get in your mailbox? Happy reading!

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

2011-12-16T12:12:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
Publisher/Date published: Bloomsbury Children's Books, October 25th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren - the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood - a dashing young man named Alander, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alander band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship... and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air."

Let me just start of by saying this was such a lovely read! I mean, really, I just flew through it and got lost in this amazing world! I love the mermaid trend going around in YA, as I was a fan of Ariel's at a young age and the author's voice was so fresh and lovely it just made me want to keep on reading!

Esmerine is a wonderful main character! She loves her family and has always been the odd one out in their village because she played with the boy with wings when she was younger. Upon meeting said boy, now a man, again, she has to deal with some disappointment, but she doesn't simper in the corner, instead she confronts him about it. And she loved books, which is always an endearing quality to me :)

And I LOVED Alander! Seriously, he was awesome! All troubled boyness of him! I was so rooting for him and Esmerine! And seriously, he had WINGS! How awesome is that?

The only I though was odd was Dosia, Esmerine's sister. She just up and leaves without telling anybody where she's going or why and then she acts surprised when Esmerine comes looking for her cause her family is worried. Gee, I wonder why that could possibly be. So the sister annoyed me, but otherwise this book was amazing!

And the ending was just perfect! I just wished it didn't have to end there. I could have gladly spent more time with Esmerine and Alander and the whole world and different kinds of paranormal beings in it! This was such a fun read and read like a fairytale, which I loved!

My rating: 5 stars

The Blacksmith's Daughter by Arley Cole

2011-12-14T07:48:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Blacksmith's Daughter by Arley Cole
Publisher/Date published: Musa Publishing, October 21st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "She believes she is only a blacksmith's daughter, but he must discover the truth or risk losing his land - and his life.
Acwellen Lex'Magen rules as liege lord of a small country bounded by forbidding mountains and powerful neighbors. When the neighboring baron, allied with a powerful wizard, attempts to take over his land, first by political, then by covert means, Acwellen finds an ally of his own in Enith Roweson, an unassuming blacksmith who possesses powers he's only known of in legends. As he attempts to unravel both the plots against him - including the nature of the monsters sent to assassinate him - and the mysterious powers Enith is only beginning to understand she has, he also finds himself falling in love with the blacksmith's daughter."

Be honest with me, when you read the summary and you know this is a YA publishing imprint, would you think the main characters would be 28 and 32?
I sure didn't.

And I really don't mind them to be a bit older, it was just unexpected and I didn't really feel their actions fit their age. I mean, you're 28 and you've never known you had strange powers before? Seriously? This put me a bit off, as did the quick mastering of said powers. I like my characters to struggle and fainting cause you're using them wrong but still accomplishing everything you want doesn't count.

And another thing: at one point they're wondering which wizard is behind the attacks and they have not even the slightest clue as to who it could be. Even though Acwellen and his right hand managed to royally piss off one wizard together some years ago when they infiltrated his castle and defeat him. Really? I mean, seriously? Why does his name not come up instantly?

So I sound negative, but I'm really not! I really enjoyed this book! I just felt that it didn't know if it wanted to be YA or adult and was both and neither at times as a result. BUT: the magic is really intriguing and I really liked Acwellen, even if I don't like his name. Acwellen seemed like a charming, handsome, smart man and I like those things in my men ;) I'm also curious about his right hand, who is so sceptic towards Enith's powers, I'm wondering what made him so.

I thought the romance was sweet, though it was a bit weird that they married two seconds after meeting and though she never acted like it, Enith admitted to having had a crush on him since she was 12. But they were really cute together and I liked that Enith wasn't some helpless maiden, but knew how to fight and has kickass powers! I'm thinking this is part of a series, but I can't find information about this anywhere. If you know more about it, let me know!

My rating: 3 stars

Jane Austen Made Me Do It by Laurel Ann Nattress

2011-12-12T15:53:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Jane Austen Made Me Do It by Laurel Ann Nattress
Publisher/Date published: Ballantine Books, October 11th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Stories by: Lauren Willig • Adriana Trigiani • Jo Beverley • Alexandra Potter • Laurie Viera Rigler • Frank Delaney & Diane Meier • Syrie James • Stephanie Barron • Amanda Grange • Pamela Aidan • Elizabeth Aston • Carrie Bebris • Diana Birchall • Monica Fairview • Janet Mullany • Jane Odiwe • Beth Pattillo • Myretta Robens • Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway • Maya Slater • Margaret C. Sullivan • and Brenna Aubrey, the winner of a story contest hosted by the Republic of Pemberley
“My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” If you just heaved a contented sigh at Mr. Darcy’s heartfelt words, then you, dear reader, are in good company. Here is a delightful collection of never-before-published stories inspired by Jane Austen — her novels, her life, her wit, her world."

If you have been reading this blog or knowing me for some time, you will perhaps already know this, but I LOVE Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favourite novel and I try to reread it at least once a year. Which is in fact due around Christmas I think :)

So I was really excited to read this book, as it contains a collection of short stories based on Austen's novels. I must admit that I pretty much never read short stories and they are not really my cup of tea, because I like to stay with my characters for some time after meeting them. But how could I resist reading this?

And there were some stories that were wonderful! I really liked the one by Alexandra Potter, which is a continuation of Mr. Darcy and Me, a book by her I really enjoyed. Also special mentions to Laurie Vera Riegler's (in which Mr. Darcy brings the authors of continuations/adaptations of P&P up on charges) and Jo Beverley's (in which a widowed woman has a sweet encounter through some meddling by Miss Austen herself and there's mistletoe involved!)! Especially the last one was heartwarmingly sweet and made me want to read another historical romance, cause I love those!

There were also some stories that didn't really work for me, but well, I could either skip those or they ended soon enough for it not to bother me. And while this did not make me want to read more short stories, it did make me want to read and watch P&P again (both the BBC version and the one with Keira Knightley)! And my little Austen-loving hard was glad I read this :) It really featured every single one of her novels and made me appreciate her genius anew!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Daisy Update

2011-12-11T19:07:00.005+01:00

I am feeling kind of lazy today, so instead of recording the IMM I had planned, I am doing this again :)

So, I had a pretty good week! I had an unexpected extra day off from work, cause there wasn't enough to do, which on one hand sucks cause I need the money, on the other hand: it's cold and I don't really want to go outside when it's cold. So I got to sleep in a bit on Thursday and then stay snuggled up beneath my blanket with my tea and book. This made me ridiculously happy.

Another exciting thing: Tuesday I watched 2 of my best friends graduate and become doctors! It was amazing, one of them I've known since the very beginning of college, she was in my introductin group and the other I've known about a half year less. But we've done this whole thing together and it makes me proud to see them looking all pretty in their dresses, accepting their diplomas!

Friday I had a high tea at a restaurant with one of my best friends, who used to be my roommate, we lived together in the apartment I now live in with my boyfriend for 3 years and we don't see enough of each other now. So I was really glad we could do this and it was so much fun! We ate LOTS of delicious food and drank so much tea, it was wonderful :) I also discovered where they get their pina colada tea, which is SO GOOD! Am probably ordering it soon.

I have also officially started my Christmas shopping! I got my blog/Twitter buddy Alexa something, I'm not telling what cause she hasn't gotten it yet. And got my mom a bathrobe to wear when we go to the spa together and I also got myself a little something:

FLEECE PJ PANTS!!! I didn't get the jacket that matched it. But it was the last one and I was so happy when they had it in my size! And they are totally as comfortable as they look (am wearing them now) and very soft :)

The boyfriend and me went to a concert on Friday and a party near his parents' yesterday night, which explains the laziness today. You know what I hate? How they smoke in the bar we went to and then the next morning everything smells so bad! I really dislike smoking, especially in bars when they're not paying attention and accidentally stab you in the hand/arm with a cigarette. Yeah, that also happened yesterday night...

On bookish aspects: I have managed to read 4 books this week and will start another one later tonight, I only loved 1: Between the Sea and Sky, which is adorable! But the others were enjoyable as well.

That's all for me this week, hope you had a good week as well! :)

Variant by Robison Wells

2011-12-09T17:55:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Variant (Variant #1) by Robison Wells
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, October 4th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher thought NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape — his only real hope for survival — may be impossible."

This is gonna be a hard review to write, because I had such mixed feelings while reading this book! I almost pulled a DNF on this one, but slowly it got slightly better and the last part I really enjoyed. But I think it took about 250 pages before I started enjoying it and I'm kinda proud of myself I didn't stop before then.

The main problem I had was the narrator's voice. I didn't really like Benson and it took until the very end for me to warm up to him. He'd been to a lot of stuff, but I didn't feel the least bit inclined to feel sorry for him. And a huge part of it is that he kept complaining A LOT about being in the school.

I mean, I get it sucked when you had expected something completely different, BUT I felt all he did was complain about it and not really being constructive in his wanting out. And the whole thing with there being 3 different gangs at a sort of war with each other didn't really work for me either, though I'm not really sure why.

I did like the ending scenes, it got really tense there and exciting! I think this book was a bit too much build-up for me, because once we got to the part about what was really going on, I found myself eagerly turning the pages! It ended at a huge cliffhange rand I'm wondering how we'll go from there and what exactly is up with that school!

Rating this is kinda hard, but as it was an almost DNF and I didn't end up loving it in the end...
My rating: 2,5 stars

The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

2011-12-07T17:14:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
Publisher/Date published: Sourcebooks Landmark, October 4th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "When Eva's film star sister Katrina dies, she leaves California and returns to Cornwall, where they spent their childhood summers, to scatter Katrina's ashes and in doing so return her to the place where she belongs. But Eva must also confront the ghosts from her own past, as well as those from a time long before her own. For the house where she so often stayed as a child is home not only to her old friends the Halletts, but also to the people who had lived there in the eighteenth century. When Eva finally accepts that she is able to slip between centuries and see and talk to the inhabitants from hundreds of years ago, she soon finds herself falling for Daniel Butler, a man who lived - and died - long before she herself was born. Eva begins to question her place in the present, and in laying her sister to rest, comes to realise that she too must decide where she really belongs, choosing between the life she knows and the past she feels so drawn towards."

This book went BEYOND my expectations! Seriously, on starting it, I thought I would enjoy this book. Instead, I ended up LOVING it! It was so amazing, so prepare for a gushing review :)

This is a time travel story and this makes it a historical romance mixed with a contemporary romance novel and I really enjoyed this part of it! I loved how there's such an emphasis on the importance of the house, to the point it almost felt like a character itself. I also loved that Eva had such a connection to it from her childhood!

Eva as a main character is wonderful! I'm all about the strong family bonds, mostly with close family (parents, siblings) and Eva genuinely loved her sister very much. Her sister was a famous actress and I didn't sensed only a little jealousy because of this, which I can totally understand. She is sensitive and strong and I loved how this balanced out for her.

And I loved the guy! Daniel is SO amazing! If I was transported back in time and met him, I would totally fall for him! Because really, who in their right mind wouldn't? He's understanding and generous, not to mention HANDSOME and charming! *sigh* I loved the chemistry between them and I was just going AAAH! KISS ALREADY! So yeah, good romance :)

I also loved some of the other characters, which is always a huge bonus! And I love how everytime tied together in the end and how I kept thinking 'OH, so THAT's why that detail was mentioned before!' I love it when that happens and seriously!

This story left me feeling a mix of happy and sad at the ending, happy because the ending was SO FREAKING GOOD and sad because it ended. I didn't want it to stop yet and this for me is the sign of a good book!

My rating: 5+ stars

Eve by Anna Carey

2011-12-05T15:13:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Eve (Eve #1) by Anna Carey
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, October 4th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus — and the vaccine intended to protect against it — wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, 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 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."

This was an amazingly fast-paced book! I just flew right through it and really enjoyed every minute of reading it!

I've mentioned it before, but I am obsessed with things like this: a virus or some other disease wiping out a big part of the population. Because I believe this is what will eventually happen. Hopefully not in 2016, as it did here, cause that's a little too close for comfort.

I really liked the way the author envisioned the impact of such a thing happening and was horrified by what people would quite believably be capable of doing to others! I mean, what they do to the girls is horrible, but so is what is happening to the boys! Gosh, it was awful!

I really liked Eve, I mean, she is obviously brainwashed, but you can't really blame her, because it's the way she was raised. And it provided some pretty funny moments, like when she tells Caleb when they meet that he 'wants to have intercourse with her', cause she's taught that's all guys want.

And let's talk about Caleb, because really, SWOON! I LOVED the boy! He was amazingly patient and such a good guy! I mean, that thing he does near the end? You know what I mean if you've read it, but it's just such a loving thing and so selfless!
And can I just say the two little boys at the cave where Caleb lived broke my heart? I just wanted to hug them!

And the ending! OMG! The ending killed me and I am sort of glad I read the summary for Once (the sequel) already and I am really looking forward to reading it! Fair warning: this is not a bloodless book, as most dystopians aren't, it's not overly graphic or something, but it's not for the faint of heart I think.

My rating: 4,5 stars

Daisy Update

2011-12-04T11:34:00.006+01:00

I finally took the leap and decided to make this blog a little more personal. Cause, you know, I'm so interesting and all ;)

You may know I'm a med student and now I can officially say I'm in the final stages of this part of my education. I am having a little break right now from interning, because the scientific research internship I had ended 4 weeks ago and I won't start the next one until January. Which means that right now I'm working 20 hours a week as an administrative assistant (which is a fancy name for typing out letters the doctors record on a tape ;) ), cause I need to somehow pay for important things like food, clothes and books!

I am kind of enjoying working part time! But, as of January I will again be interning 50-60 hours a week for another 3 months and then I'm DONE! Which is very exciting, cause then I get to WORK and be all grown-up and all that. Basically I'm tired of having to constantly ask someone else to prescribe the meds for my patients and fun things like that.

Some Dutch culture added in: in Holland we celebrate 'Sinterklaas', which is basically like Santa Claus, but with politically incorrect helpers/minions (whichever you prefer) as pictured above. We always have a sort of Secret Santa for this with my boyfriend's family and that will be this afternoon. I already got the presents, now all I need to do is write the poem to go with it. And then there'll be lots of food :D

While shopping for the presents for this, I bought WAY too much stuff for myself: 3 dvds, A Discovery of Witches, 2 necklaces (cause I can really wear them at the same time..), new black boots, jeans, grey pumps and two belts. That is on top of the four dresses, cardigan and sparkly grey top I bought in the last two weeks. And ALL the books I bought.

As for a bookish update: I read and loved Hallowed by Cynthia Hand, it was full of sadness, but amazing. And if you're into clean romance/historical romance, you should DEFINITELY read The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley, it was AMAZING! I think my review will be up somewhere this or next week.
Right now, I'm reading Jane Austen Made Me Do It, which is a collection of short stories and I'm loving some and not so loving others, but it makes my romantic little heart happy :)

I hope you all have a great week!

In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster by Stephanie Laurens

2011-12-02T21:54:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster (The Cynster Sisters Trilogy #2) by Stephanie Laurens
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, October 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Three heroes, three rescues, three weddings.
The pleasure of your company is requested
at the wedding of Miss Eliza Cynster
...but not until she's rescued from a daring abduction by the most unexpected of heros!
Brazenly kidnapped from her sister Heather's engagement ball, Eliza Cynster is spirited north to Edinburgh. Desperate and determined to escape, she seizes upon the first possible champion who happens along - gentleman scholar Jeremy Carling.
Villains and rescues are a far cry from Jeremy's expertise, yet he cannot abandon a damsel in distress. But danger lurks and hurdles abound in their race to escape the mysterious laird, until a final confrontation on a windswept cliff reveals what their future life could hold - if both are bold enough to seize and own the unexpected love they now share."

I remember reading at least one of the previous books in the Cynster series, as I recognized a lot of names while reading this one, I just can't remember which one I read... Because, let's be honest, a lot of titles of romance novels resemble each other and I read it before I kept track of my books on Goodreads (I can barely remember such a time...).

I am sad to say I struggled a bit with this book. And for once I know exactly why that is: there was no tension. None. I LIVE for the tension in romance novels and I KNOW Stephanie Laurens can do this, because I remember really enjoying one of her other novels, but there was just nothing in this one. I did think Eliza and Jeremy suited each other, but it lacked the stomach clenchiness that makes me such a fan of this genre!

Also, I took a bit of offense at the constant mention of how unexpected it was that Jeremy pulled the rescue off, because he was a SCHOLAR. I mean, seriously? My boyfriend goes to university and I am telling you he is very strong and could have pulled it off as well. Being smart does not make you less manly! I get that things were different back then, but still.

Anyway, I am one of those girls who lives for the moments in historical romance when there are things that drive the two lovers apart of when they believe the other one doesn't love them and such, because: DRAMA! TENSION! And in this one they just sort of mutually fell in love and were chased around and I didn't really feel it.

But, there is some major foreshadowing for the third book in the series and as I am anticipating the two main characters in that one will clash some more in their personalities, I am really looking forward to reading it! Also, of course knowing there's a third book, I guessed who the mysterious captor was and he sounds really interesting! :)

My rating: 2 stars

Picture Perfect by Lanie Kincaid

2011-11-30T17:00:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Picture Perfect by Lanie Kincaid
Publisher/Date published: Griffyn Ink, February 1st 2010
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Rae Madison is the other woman.
She didn’t mean to be. She’s been waiting for her big break – a show for her art photography – and paying the bills doing surveillance for a PI. The only problem is the last cheating husband that came across her desk is her boyfriend. Not only does he have a wife and kids, she isn’t even his only girlfriend!
Colby Williams is the right man.
He’s been biding his time, straightening out his own mess of a life. He can handle waiting while Rae’s heart heals . . . he’s already waited this long. But just as things are finally coming together for them, everything goes wrong – and right.
Rae has finally landed her art gallery showing, and just like Colby always knew she would be, she’s suddenly very popular. Will her dream take her away from the love they have found?"

Okay, so I had some different expectations going into this book than what it turned out to be. I thought it'd be about Rae being hurt by her boyfriend and being distrustful towards men, as I imagine you'd be if it turned out your boyfriend was married and had other girlfriends beside you as the cherry on top. I imagined that she'd slowly open her eyes to what'd been in front of her all along: Colby.

And let's just start of by saying that I do not like that name. It sounds girly to me and from the description, Colby is anything but.

Anyway, it turns out my expectations were pretty much wrong. And this turned out to be one of those books in which I wanted to whack both main characters in the back of the head and tell them to 'stop being a whiny little boy' and 'COMMUNICATE!'. Seriously. COMMUNICATE for the love of chocolate!!

Deep breaths, I'm okay.

I thought it was SO stupid for Colby to be upset by Rae's taking care of him when he was sick and he could have DIED if she hadn't all because she saw him as being less than big man-much power (insert caveman-like grunt). I mean, seriously? Instead of ignoring her, a simple thank you would have sufficed.

BUT: they did have wonderful chemistry and I really liked the tension that was there. And this was a pretty fast read for me. I did think in the end there stumbling block got resolved a bit too easily, but well, I'm happy for them. It left me with warm fuzzies and that is what I want from this kind of story!

My rating: 3 stars

Top Ten Books on my Winter TBR List!

2011-11-29T18:56:00.003+01:00

Look at me being all featured on The Broke and the Bookish!!

But just in case you missed it ;) I'll crosspost my list here.

1. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand: Well OBVIOUSLY this one would be on the list! I LOVED Unearthly and have pre-ordered this one, I'm avoiding reviews until I've read it myself, but TEAM TUCKER!

2. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi: 2012 debut author, I have heard many, many good things about this book and have also pre-ordered this one :) And it especially makes me happy to hear one blogger describe it as a 'dystopian meets high fantasy' because I LOVE dystopians AND fantasy!

3. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver: I am betting this one will be on a lot of lists doing new releases ;) I thought Delirium was amazing and that ending killed me! So yes, I am insanely jealous of those lucky bloggers who got an ARC! I am so reading this one the second it gets out!

4. Fever by Lauren DeStefano: another one probably featured on more lists than just mine ;) I absolutely loved Wither and this have another jealous moment, the same as for Pandemonium. If you haven't read Wither, you should! It's amazing!

5. Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale: me and Jana are fans of Austenland, she reviewed it on this blog, so when I saw this one coming out I KNEW I had to read it! Fans of Jane Austen and P&P: Austenland was such a cute read and I'm betting this one will be as well!

6. Everneath by Brodi Ashton: another 2012 debut author! This book sounds insanely amazing and I can't wait to read it! Oh, and I have some serious cover love for this one!

7. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen: this one sounds fabulous as well, with Scarlet (I'm thinking Will Scarlet in the original story) actually being a girl instead of a boy! I LOVE the tale of Robin Hood, so I think this will be just the book for me.

8. New Girl by Paige Harbison: a YA retelling of Rebecca, you better believe I'm gonna be reading this!!

9. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood: I love witches! This book sounds like all kinds of awesome! It's described as A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare, and while I haven't read any of Ms. Clare's books (I know, I suck), I loved the Gemma Doyle books, so I think this will be good :)

10. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows: you could read this book for the fabulous cover alone. Seriously, it's so pretty! Another 2012 debut author :)

10+1. Tempest by Julie Cross: Yes, I cheat, it's what I do ;) (but really, I will be reading a lot more than just 10 books, so I'm allowed) Time travel is hard to do well and I'm looking forward to see Ms. Cross' take on it! And can you say cover love? ;)

So, that's my list, there are a lot of 2012 debut authors on them and some sequels and such. Let me know if I missed any! And leave your link below so I can check yours out!

Mistress by Midnight by Nicola Cornick

2011-11-28T14:53:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Mistress by Midnight by Nicola Cornick
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin UK, August 19th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Merryn Fenner is on a mission to ruin the Duke of Farne. A beautiful bluestocking with a penchant for justice, Merryn has waited ten years to satisfy her revenge against sensual, mysterious Garrick Northesk. Her family name had been tarnished at his hands, her life destroyed. And now she intends to return the favor — by finding the true heir to the duke's title and disinheriting Garrick.
Yet when a disaster traps Merryn and Garrick together, white-hot desire stirs between the two sworn enemies. Her reputation utterly compromised, Merryn is forced to do the one thing she cannot bear: accept the scandalous marriage proposal of the man she has vowed to ruin."

I liked that in this romance novel there was actually a real reason for the two main characters to have problems. Because, really, if you believed a man killed your brother, you wouldn't be all over him either.

And Merryn isn't, she just can't seem to help herself, though if this were the real world I'd imagine it would give her many a worry-wrinkle ;) And I just loved Garrick. He was so noble and manly and just swoonworthy. I love when the men are swoonworthy.

I'd guessed what the secret Garrick was working so hard to protect was pretty early on, but it's a genuine secret and I loved him all the more for his being so loyal and trustworthy in this. But if I'd been Merryn, I would have made a MUCH bigger scene about it when I found out, I mean, hello! Not cool to hide that from her and her sisters! But I'd have forgiven him in the end, cause he's too handsome to stay mad at.

There was some wonderful tension between them, but I don't remember actually crying, but especially Merryn struggling with her feelings was wonderful and real and I really, really enjoyed this book!

My rating: 4 stars

IMM Vlog (4)

2011-11-27T10:54:00.000+01:00

It's that time again: In My Mailbox! Hosted, as always, by the lovely Kristi from the Story Siren!

BOUGHT:
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
To the Moon and Back by Jill Mansell
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (thank you to The Book Depository for sending me a hardcover even though I ordered a paperback! Definitely not complaining!)
Girls in Pants by Ann Brashares
Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Portrait of an Unknown Woman by Vanora Bennett
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine
Behaving Like Adults by Anne Maxted

WON:
The Demon King & The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
THANK YOU Harper Voyager!!
Radiant Desire by Inara Scott
HUGE thank you to the author for sending it to me!
If I Die by Rachel Vincent
THANK YOU RACHEL! Check out her blog!

NETGALLEY:
The Guardian Duke by Jamie Carie
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Spirit's Princess by Esther M. Friesner
Cross My Heart by Sasaha Gould
Rogue Pirate's Bride by Shana Galen
Tempest by Julie Cross
Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire
The Unbearable Book for Unsinkable Girls by Julie Schumacher
At the Mercy of the Queen by Anne Clinard Barnhill
The Capture of the Earl of Glencrae by Stephanie Laurens
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (you can see me do my happy dance for this one ;) )
Hades by George O'Connor
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley
Enchanted Again by Robin D. Owens
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig

So, this is pretty much about a month worth of books I think, which makes it less bad (yes? no? maybe?)...
What did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link in the comments!

H10N1 by M.R. Cornelius

2011-11-25T10:04:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: H10N1 by M.R. Cornelius
Publisher/Date published: self-published, April 12th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the author for review

Goodreads summary: "A deadly influenza virus rages out of control. There is no easy-fix vaccine. No eleventh-hour containment. Only death.
With no workforce, power plants are unmanned so there’s no means of communication; police and fire departments have collapsed so no one is safe; looters are scavenging everything from big-screen TVs to canned peas.
When Dr. Taeya Sanchez finds herself unceremoniously dismissed from an emergency medical facility in New York, she decides to steal the hospital’s armored van for a midnight escape.
Unfortunately, Rick DeAngelo, a driver for the hospital, has already stocked the van for his own getaway.
Thrown into an unfriendly alliance, these two must pick their way across the dangerous wasteland of America in search of a safe haven. And as the miles roll by, they discover that the living should be feared much more than the festering corpses out there."

I LOVED the first chapter. It was shocking, in your face and I thought wow, I'm gonna love this book. And then I read the rest of it.

And I am sad to say I was disappointed. As a med student I'm fascinated by things dealing with virus outbreaks or super bacteria and all that stuff wiping out the human race. Because seriously, that is what scares me. That is exactly what I'm scared of happening in the future and it isn't an unrealistic fear unfortunately. But enough of that.

I wasn't really sure what the point of the plot was. I felt like there was stuff happening, but I didn't really know why. I also thought it would have been about the virus spreading and all that, but it was actually after the initial wave and about the survivors of that. I also didn't really feel the romance, I didn't get it and I didn't think it was realistic.

Another thing I had a problem with: the main character is an epidemiologist, which is basically someone who studies things like patterns and risk factors and such. There are those who work 'in the field' so to speak, but it's usually only about infection control then, not so much the other areas of medicine. And I believed an epidemiologist knows how to stitch someone up, I do, because it's basic medical training. But you CANNOT tell me they also know how to perform complicated surgeries after someone is shot and there was also an inconsistency where for her to be able to do something she did, she'd have to have opened the patient up in two places and there was only one operating wound.

Yes I am ranting, but this really bothers me because this is what I know. Because I see this kind of stuff every day and I don't get how people think that being a doctor means you can do ALL THE THINGS. You can't. That's why we have all those different kinds of doctors.

Ok, stopping the rant.

I did like the whole idea behind the book with the virus outbreak and everything and seriously you guys, I loved the first chapter. If the book had continued in that way, it would have been amazing. But after that things went downhill for me.

My rating: 1,5 stars

The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin

2011-11-23T17:41:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Kingdom of Gods (The Inheritance Trilogy #3) by N.K. Jemisin
Publisher/Date published: Orbit, October 11th 2011
How I got this book: pre-ordered it!

Goodreads summary: "For two thousand years the Arameri family has ruled the world by enslaving the very gods that created mortalkind. Now the gods are free, and the Arameri’s ruthless grip is slipping. Yet they are all that stands between peace and world-spanning, unending war.
Shahar, last scion of the family, must choose her loyalties. She yearns to trust Sieh, the godling she loves. Yet her duty as Arameri heir is to uphold the family’s interests, even if that means using and destroying everyone she cares for.
As long-suppressed rage and terrible new magics consume the world, the Maelstrom — which even gods fear — is summoned forth. Shahar and Sieh: mortal and god, lovers and enemies. Can they stand together against the chaos that threatens the Kingdom of the Gods?"

Warning: this will probably be more me gushing about this book and series than actual review.

Of course I had to have this book after loving the first two books in the trilogy!! I can't get over the fact that these books are so amazing, yet there is so little buzz about them... But I pre-ordered it, which means that I only had to wait a few days after the release date for it to get here, hooray!

If you haven't read the other books in the series yet: you should. They are AMAZING.

And this one is about Sieh, one of my favourite characters from the previous books. He is a trickster god and just plain awesome. In this book, Sieh goes through some major changes and I so felt for him throughout everything! I don't want to spoil anything, but seriously, he has a rough time in this book. I absolutely loved Deka and Shahar as well, though slightly less. They were all such well-developed characters and I really felt like I got to know them and that they were all real people (and a god) instead of fictional characters. I love it when that happens!

The ending had me on the edge of my seat, and this is a pretty big accomplishment, seeing as I'd read it during the read-a-thon and had probably only gotten about 3 hours of sleep.

The whole world-building in this series is so amazing and wonderful and I loved every minute of it! I don't think I'm doing Jemisin's writing justice with this review, but I just want to push this series at everyone who loves fantasy and tell them to read it right away. I'm kinda sad the trilogy has now come to a conclusion and can't wait to see what else Jemisin will have in store for us! She is definitely on my auto-buy list.

And look at that cover, isn't it PRETTY?

My rating: 5+ stars

Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy

2011-11-21T14:35:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore by Stella Duffy
Publisher/Date published: Penguin Group USA, September 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Roman historian Procopius publicly praised Theodora of Constantinople for her piety-while secretly detailing her salacious stage act and maligning her as ruthless and power hungry. So who was this woman who rose from humble beginnings as a dancer to become the empress of Rome and a saint in the Orthodox Church? Award-winning novelist Stella Duffy vividly recreates the life and times of a woman who left her mark on one of the ancient world's most powerful empires. Theodora: Actress, Empress, Whore is a sexy, captivating novel that resurrects an extraordinary, little-known figure from the dusty pages of history."

I'm always excited to learn about an influential historical figure that I had not heard of before and seriously, this title draws attention. You can't argue with that.

So, obviously, I don't know all the Roman emperors. In fact, I'd never heard of Justinian before and thus had never wondered about his wife, Theodora. But seriously, she is one interesting character! Or at least in the way Stella Duffy portrayed her!

I never knew there was a rule in that time that actresses coudln't marry. And while I knew about the stereotype of actresses having loose morals, I never knew they were sort of required to be a courtesan as well as perform in theater! And I never realised there were that many eunuchs! Or maybe that's just that we came across them a lot in this one?

ANYWAY, I really enjoyed this look into the society of ancient Rome and while Theodora is certainly not a character without serious flaws, I liked her. She did unexpected things and sometimes I wondered about her decisions, but this didn't detract from her appeal to me. I felt that she knew her talents and flaws herself and also knew how to use and hide them to her best benefit! And seriously, if you can make a man who doesn't show interest in anything other than work fall for you and make him change the law just so he can marry you? You are kind of awesome.

This was a slow read for me and some parts were a bit boring, and then there were parts that were a bit too vague in my opinion, especially about the 'growth' Theodora had. But maybe that's just the medstudent in me talking ;)

My rating: 3 stars

Gone for the Weekend!

2011-11-18T15:42:00.007+01:00

Hi all!

I just wanted to let you know I'll be leaving for a weekend away with my friends from high school in about an hour, which means you won't hear anything from me until Sunday or maybe even not until Monday, because there'll be lots of this:

Because seriously, what we do together is EAT LOTS OF FOOD.
And this:

And probably this as well:

And there will be virtually no:

Or:

I hope you all have a great weekend while I'm out with the girls!

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

2011-11-17T18:36:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1) by Jocelyn Davies
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, September 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "On the night of Skye's seventeenth birthday, she meets two enigmatic strangers. Complete opposites; like fire and ice, Asher is dark and wild, while Devin is fair and aloof. Their sudden appearance sends Skye's life into a tailspin. She has no idea what they want, or why they seem to follow her every move only that their presence coincides with a flurry of strange events. Soon she begins to doubt not just the identity of the two boys, but also the truth about her own past.
In the dead of a bitingly cold Colorado winter, Skye finds herself coming to terms with the impossible secret that threatens to shatter her world. Torn between Asher, who she can't help falling for, and Devin, who she can't stay away from, the consequences of Skye's choice will reach further than the three of them could ever imagine."

I have been pining for this book for a LONG time, seriously, I added it in June 2010 to my TBR list! And the cover is just gorgeous! So I was really excited to finally get to it! And this book didn't disappoint.

I have read several angel books in the last year and some of them I LOVED and then there were those who just weren't for me. I thought this book had a really intersting take on angel lore and I loved how non-preachy it was, which is one of my main problems with this subgenre.

I really liked Skye, she was just a regular girl (or at least she thought she was), with real friends and a caring parental figure, her mom's best friend who took her in after her parents died. Though she is frequently absent, and that is one of my bookish pet peeves, in this case there turned out to be a very good explanation for this, so props to the author for that!

So, at first everything was a bit confusing with Devin and Asher and their secretiveness, but that you didn't know if these boys meant well or not and what their real agenda was made it all the more a pageturner! I flew through this book, it was so good!

And the boys, let's talk about the boys. While I'm one of those who don't really like love triangles, in this one it worked, but I'm not gonna tell you why, because that would spoil things. BUT, let me just say that while each boy had his charms, I am partial to Devin. I think it's the calm and the troubledness he exudes. And yes, for those of you who read it: even after the ending. I know, I have a serious Devin crush.

But OMG, the ending! Can you say cliffhanger? Seriously! I need the next book right now! I'm also dying to know how this whole thing will play out besides the ending, because I think there's a lot we still don't know about Skye and what it is she can do and well, ALL OF IT!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Remembrance by Michelle Madow

2011-11-14T19:10:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Remembrance (Transcend Time Saga #1) by Michelle Madow
Publisher/Date published: Dreamscape Publishing, July 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the author for review

Goodreads summary: "New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England... but she doesn't know it yet.
Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?
Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy."

Okay, so I struggled a bit with this book. I really liked the whole idea of reincarnation and their love transcending time, but there were some things that bothered me.

I know that Lizzie was supposed to be meant for Drew and not Jeremy, but for all that she's been with him for a couple of years, they don't seem to really suit each other and the way they interacted I couldn't even picture them as friends.

Then there was the thing with Lizzie and Drew, and I'm sorry to say I didn't really get why Lizzie was so attracted to him. I mean, I know that with the reincarnation their feelings are somehow kept intact, but he was NOT nice to her! Really! And his reasoning of dating her best friend? Not cool. Seriously. I thought they both made some bad decisions and I blame Drew for this more than Lizzie, since he seemed to know a whole lot more about their past lives! I thought Lizzie was really naive when she thought Chelsea wouldn't have a problem with her and Drew. I mean, really?

I did really like the similarity of their situation now and how it all happened in their past lives and I thought the whole thing of their love transcending time was fascinating, I just wished the book had been a bit longer, so the storyline and characters could have been a bit more developed.

By all the things mentioned above, I don't want to give you the wrong impression: I DID like this book, it was a very enjoyable read, just not without flaws. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series and finding out how this story continues. Which should be fun, since it's from Chelsea's POV and is called Vengeance... Someone's angry!! Should be good :)
Oh, and one thing I forgot to mention: this story was inspired by the song Love Story by Taylor Swift! I really like that song and this is a sweet story that goes with it really well.

My rating: 3 stars

2012 Debut Author Challenge!!

2011-11-13T16:25:00.004+01:00

So, I had a blast this year participating in the Debut Author Challenge! So OF COURSE I'm gonna do it again this year! I've already spent some time lusting over the books and gorgeous covers :)

CHALLENGE OBJECTIVE:
To read & review a minimum of twelve young adult or middle grade debut novels between the dates of January 1, 2012 - January 31, 2013.

More information can be found here.

My tentative list:
Queen of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I am so running out to the store/pre-ordering this one!! Because seriously, I'm DYING to read it! I have loved this story since the author posted it on FictionPress a LONG time ago and I'm really looking forward to seeing how it's turned out!
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Tempest by Julie Cross
Ditched by Robin Mellom
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
Under the Never Sky by Veronice Rossi
Already pre-ordered it!
Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims
Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig
Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
Fractured by Megan Miranda
Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont

And pretty much everything else that catches my attention ;)
So now the plotting as to how I will get my hands on all these can begin! 2012 will be the year I graduate and thus start making money, which means I will not have to budgetize so much, hooray!

So: are you guys planning to participate? Excited about some of these debuts as well? Or ALL of them? Let me know!

Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik

2011-11-12T09:26:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, August 2nd 2011
How I got this book: got it from my brother as a birthday present, yay!

Goodreads summary: "Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?
At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you. Case in point:
As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.
As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.
When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long."

I'd been hearing so many good things about this book before I started reading it, my hopes were pretty high. And sadly, they were probably so high the book didn't live up to it. By that I don't mean it was bad, just not as amazing as I had expected.

BUT: this was a really cute read. I mean, I love P&P, it's my all-time favourite novel and I really enjoyed this modern adaptation of it. I could just picture it happening like that in high school, all the misunderstandings!

Elise is a great character and I loved how witty she was! She really cares about her sisters and family, which was great. I really enjoyed the interaction between her and Derek, they were very good together!

There were some things I didn't really like: all the weird rules Elise's parents had! I mean, no mobile phones at home? Huh? I didn't really get that. I get you're not allowed to text at dinner or other set family time, but not at all? Weird! Also: where was Mary? There were only 4 sisters in this book instead of 5...

All in all, this was a cute, quick read and even if you don't know P&P, it will be an enjoyable read!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

2011-11-10T14:30:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Unclaimed by Courtney Milan
Publisher/Date published: HQN Books, September 20th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Her only hope for survival...
Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London — and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check... until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.
Is to ruin the man she loves...
But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible."

With this book, I had to adjust a bit to the setting, because usually the historical romances I read revolve around London's society and the balls and everything that goes along with them. But I ended up really enjoying this book.

Throughout the novel there are a lot of hints regarding Jessica's past and an 'illness' she went through not too long ago, but we're not given the answers until pretty much the end. And though I guessed what it had to do with, the revelation left me openmouthed with horror. It was so barbaric! Really, I wanted to shoot that guy! GAH!

I really enjoyed the chemistry between Mark and Jessica and thought it was really refreshing that for once the very male main character was a virgin and the heroine had all this experience, instead of the other way around, as it usually is. I did think Mark was very arrogant, but well, he had enough charm to pull it off.

And towards the ending this book brought tears to my eyes and I love it when that happens! I did think the ending was a bit drawn out, but it didn't matter much, because I really enjoyed it anyway!

I really liked that the two got to know eachother before jumping in bed together and proclaiming they're in love. I liked that it's not the only thing they did together, they spend time together and I loved reading about their moments together.

My rating: 4 stars

The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees

2011-11-08T19:31:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Juliet Spell by Douglas Rees
Publisher/Date published: Harlequin Teen, September 27th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "I wanted the role of Juliet more than anything. I studied hard. I gave a great reading for it — even with Bobby checking me out the whole time. I deserved the part.
I didn't get it. So I decided to level the playing field, though I actually might have leveled the whole play. You see, since there aren't any Success in Getting to Be Juliet in Your High School Play spells, I thought I'd cast the next best — a Fame spell. Good idea, right?
Yeah. Instead of bringing me a little fame, it brought me someone a little famous. Shakespeare. Well, Edmund Shakespeare. William's younger brother.
Good thing he's sweet and enthusiastic about helping me with the play... and — ahem — maybe a little bit hot. But he's from the past. Way past. Cars amaze him — cars! And cell phones? Ugh.
Still, there's something about him that's making my eyes go star-crossed..."

Okay, so I'd heard some less than stellar things about this book before I started it. And it ended up surprising me, because I really liked it. Well, the first part that is. About 50 pages before the end I went WTF???

I mean, the story was funny and cute and I liked Edmund, even though he was basically just a horny teenage boy. And though Miranda doesn't always have her priorities straight, I liked her as a character as well. She's extremely passionate about acting and well, I like a character who works to achieve his or her dream.

So we were doing good, we had the main character making goo-goo eyes at the horny teenage boy, while conveniently not seeing the other, much nicer, non-medieval guy who was silently pining for her. And we had a cute story. And then things got messed up. There was Miranda's dad returning out of nowhere, just being accepted back, despite being gone for years and years without any contact except paychecks. There was a whole weird almost shooting incident and the entrance of William Shakespeare himself.

And this is where the story lost its cuteness and made me go WTF?? instead.

And I'm sad that happened! Because it had such potential! But I felt the story got resolved in a way too convenient way and it all felt a bit rushed. Seriously, I was really wondering during the last 15 pages how they were going to send Edmund and William back, because they obviously had to. And then all of a sudden it all was resolved and it left me feeling slightly cheated.

All in all, this book had a really cute and fun start and I just wished it could have held on to that. The starred rating is mostly based on the first part, if the last part had been as good, it would surely have gotten a higher rating.

My rating: 3 stars

The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin

2011-11-06T15:54:00.001+01:00

Title/Author: The Broken Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin (The Inheritance Trilogy #2)
Publisher/Date published: Orbit, November 3rd 2010
How I got this book: got it from my parents as a Christmas present, yay!
Why I read this book: I LOVED The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, which is the first book in this series. Besides, look at the pretty cover!

Goodreads summary: "The gods have broken free after centuries of slavery, and the world holds its breath, fearing their vengeance. The saga of mortals and immortals continues in THE BROKEN KINGDOMS. In the city of Shadow, beneath the World Tree, alleyways shimmer with magic and godlings live hidden among mortalkind. Oree Shoth, a blind artist, takes in a homeless man who glows like a living sun to her strange sight. This act of kindness engulfs Oree in a nightmarish conspiracy. Someone, somehow, is murdering godlings, leaving their desecrated bodies all over the city. Oree's peculiar guest is at the heart of it, his presence putting her in mortal danger -- but is it him the killers want, or Oree? And is the earthly power of the Arameri king their ultimate goal, or have they set their sights on the gods themselves?"

I first fell in love with this series when I saw the cover of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, it's absolutely beautiful and I so hoped the writing was as good as the cover promised. And it was! I devoured that one and then had to wait 6 agonizing months for the sequel to come out. And was rewarded for my patience with both another pretty cover and an amazing story.

Set 10 years after the happenings in The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, we see the story through Oree's eyes, or more acurately: through her eyes, ears, smell and touch. Oree is blind, with the strange ability to see magic. This means she can see the godlings (children of the gods) and any other magic, which leaves a kind of residu sometimes. And as Shadow is a city godlings frequent, she still gets to see a huge amount of the place she lives in. It was so interesting to experience the world through someone who can't see and who doesn't take it for granted the times she can. I also thought it was a nice touch Oree's eyes make people uncomfortable, as in they're repelled by them. It's a change from the different but beautiful eyes. And being able to see magic is just really cool.

Oree interacts with the godlings frequently and one, Madding, used to be her lover. Their interaction is heartbreaking, they didn't break it off because they stopped loving each other, but because he is immortal and fears the pain of loosing her when she dies.

Recently there has been an addition to her house: a strange man who glows magic every morning, who she found in the trash one day. He doesn't talk and since Oree wants to address him somehow, she names him Shiny. The godlings don't like Shiny, but none will tell Oree why. Slowly she figures it out and though I remembered what happened in the first book, I was still slow to grasp the concept. If information about who this man really is gets out, the whole world as Oree knows it would stand on his head.

There's also the problem of people murdering godlings, who aren't supposed to be able to die at the hands of mortals. So who's behind this? And what does he want? Oree's thrown right into the middle of it all and doesn't know how she'll make it out of this alive.

This book was so incredibly amazing! Oree is such a real character, her reactions to things are relateable, though I wouldn't necessarily make the same choices she did, I completely supported her througout the book. She's a strong woman and doesn't like to rely on other people for things. She's learned to cope with being blind and I really enjoyed her story.
I think I developed a little crush on Madding, he is a beautiful person and cares about Oree very much. Godlings have a complex nature and I though Madding and the other were very interesting. Shiny (OMG, how much do I love the author/Oree for coming up with this one! Too funny!) is mysterious and at first, I did not like him very much, but he shows real growth and he has earned a special spot in my heart all for himself. We'd already met him in the first book and I loved how Jemisin explored his character in this one.

The storytelling is beautiful, I could picture everything the author mentions and I loved how I just wanted to keep on reading and at the same time not wanting the book to end. Jemisin has created a wonderful world with perhaps a more mythical than fantasy feeling to it and I absolutely loved it. Now I'll have to wait another agonizing 6 months for the next one! (Wrote this review in February, totally already read the third book and it was AWESOME! Review to come!)

My rating: 5+ stars

Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

2011-11-04T14:43:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, September 20th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "It was a beautiful, warm summer day, the day Danny died.
Suddenly Wren was alone and shattered. In a heartbroken fury, armed with dark incantations and a secret power, Wren decides that what she wants — what she must do — is to bring Danny back.
But the Danny who returns is just a shell of the boy Wren fell in love with. His touch is icy; his skin, smooth and stiff as marble; his chest, cruelly silent when Wren rests her head against it.
Wren must keep Danny a secret, hiding him away, visiting him at night, while her life slowly unravels around her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school, and Wren realizes that somehow, inexplicably, he can sense the powers that lie within her — and that he knows what she has done. And now Gabriel wants to help make things right.
But Wren alone has to undo what she has wrought — even if it means breaking her heart all over again."

Ok, so I had some doubts about this book, but I'd heard really good things about it, so I requested it, because you know, I have skipped on books many times, only to hear EVERYONE raving about it and then loving it myself and regretting not getting to it sooner. But this time, I should have trusted my instincts.

I'm not big on zombies. I'm totally fine with undead beings: vampires, revenants, ghosts. But zombies... They don't do it for me (mostly because they're creepy and want to eat my brains). And Danny was pretty much like a zombie to me. So we were not off to a good start.

But in the beginning I thought, well, seems like Wren (which is an AWESOME name) has gotten herself into a sticky situation (always wanted to say that), let's see how she'll manage to get out of it. Wren seemed cool at first, she had been dealing with the consequences on her own and because of this she had pretty much lost her friends and you know, her LIFE.

Enter Gabriel, who for some reason I can't figure out, is attracted to Wren. And seriously, there was too much insta-love for me here. I do not understand WHY he would like her.

This is probably the main issue: I did not like Wren. She treats a lot of people badly. REALLY badly! Her mom, her friends, her sister, Gabriel and yes, her dead boyfriend too. She's shutting them out and I can get she has to keep the undeadness of Danny a secret, but still. You can still be a decent person. But she's not. She doesn't appreciate help when it's offered, especially by Gabriel. And she has issues with her mom that I did not get at all and she's generally not a good person. There, I said it.

Also, she's constantly crying about the situation with Danny WITHOUT actually DOING something about it! I mean, really, it's been like that for 3 MONTHS. Not days, months. And she knew it wasn't right pretty much from the start. What is wrong with her that she didn't do something about it sooner! This annoyed me.

So yeah, this book wasn't for me. I finished it because it was a pretty quick read and I was thinking it would get better. I think this is a stand-alone, but there's a lot of issues left unresolved. There's a whole lot going on between Wren and her mother I couldn't really make sense of, also stuff about her father, but this never gets explained further. To me, this was the most interesting part of the novel, so I'm sad that it wasn't explored further.

My rating: 1,5 stars

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

2011-11-02T09:24:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson
Publisher/Date published: HarperTeen, September 20th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.
But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.
Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king — a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.
And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.
Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.
Most of the chosen do."

I've been PINING for this book for a year before reading this. And guess what: TOTALLY AMAZING! Seriously, I LOVED this book. I would have read it in one sitting if something trivial like sleep and my internship hadn't gotten in the way.

So now that I've gotten my gushing out the way, let me tell you all the ways this book blew my mind.

First, OMG the whole godstone lore! It was so amazing! I'm not a religious person, but I was intrigued by this whole thing. Especially when this system of a chosen one getting a godstone is being turned on its head! I'm so excited to see where the author will take this in the next book!

And Elisa, seriously, if you like strong female characters in your fantasy, this is the girl for you! She has a real backbone, isn't afraid to laugh at herself and is just a NICE person. It was refreshing that she starts out being very much overweight and actually has a personality instead of just being pretty. She shows such character growth throughout the book, it was wonderful.

And then there was THE BOY. Oh Humberto, how you made my romantic little heart flutter with your amazing boyness you!
**MAJOR SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ:**
So, seriously, who else was gaping openmouthed when he died??? OMG! I cannot believe that happened! I wanted to go back and unread that so Humberto would still be alive! I am so incredibly sad it happened and I'm not sure it was necessary. Humberto...
**END OF SPOILER**

And the storyline, it was amazing. And I had kind of guessed something that would be important at the end of the book, but I had NO IDEA it would turn out like this. This whole world blew my mind and I'm dying to find out what will happen to Elisa in the next book. Which needs to be here now instead of October 2012! How will I survive in the meantime?? Seriously?

Oh, and can I just say that while I'm not loving this cover so much, after reading the book it makes perfect sense. I'll give you a hint: that blue thing is the godstone. I realised this about halfway through. Yes, I am a genius...

If you couldn't tell already, I loved this book so much I'm not really coherent about it. Which means you should all go read it. If you like fantasy and good books in general, you will enjoy this.
My rating: 5+ stars

A Thank You to books

2011-11-01T16:18:00.002+01:00

I saw this contest around the interwebs and to enter you had to make a post about the one book you are most thankful for. And of course I want to win the awesome prize package, but I also really love this question.
Because, what book ARE you most thankful for?

Is it a book that helped you get through some rough times? Is it the book that got you into reading in the first place or got you back into reading after a break? Is it the book you find yourself pushing on other people because they HAVE to read it already? Is it the book that when you read it makes you feel like you slip into a warm nest or like hanging out with your best friend?

The book I'm most thankful for is the Harry Potter books. I know I cheat by naming the series, but it's true.

I have grown up with these books. I was 12 when I started reading them and looking back, I think I didn't read as much back then as I used to. I had started high school a year before and reading was just 'not cool'. And you know what? These books grabbed me and brought me back to reading. I know Christmas that year was filled with reading the first book and then begging my parents to get me the next one immediately.
These books made me connect with readers all over the world who also loved the books, it's the first I ever realised that reading did not have to be a solitary activity! There was this whole fanbase and through this I discovered FanFiction.net and Fictionpress and just spend whole days reading stories on both sites. I know I haven't read many actual books in high school, but I have read A LOT of unpublished stories in those years.

So thank you J.K. Rowling for introducing me to this wonderful world and resparking my passion for reading and my love for the fantasy genre!

I really thought I was gonna say Pride and Prejudice, but while this is my all-time favourite book, it didn't have the same impact on me as this series did. I was already firmly back in reading, though it did make me appreciate the romance genre more and started my interest in reading the classics (which I have been slacking on).

Anyway, that's me. So tell me, what book are you most thankful for? And don't forget to enter for a chance to win this amazing prize package!

Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett

2011-10-31T21:32:00.000+01:00

Title/Author: Dark of the Moon by Tracy Barrett
Publisher/Date published: Harcourt Children's Books, September 19th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Ariadne is destined to become a goddess of the moon. She leads a lonely life, filled with hours of rigorous training by stern priestesses. Her former friends no longer dare to look at her, much less speak to her. All that she has left are her mother and her beloved, misshapen brother Asterion, who must be held captive below the palace for his own safety.
So when a ship arrives one spring day, bearing a tribute of slaves from Athens, Ariadne sneaks out to meet it. These newcomers don’t know the ways of Krete; perhaps they won’t be afraid of a girl who will someday be a powerful goddess. And indeed she meets Theseus, the son of the king of Athens. Ariadne finds herself drawn to the newcomer, and soon they form a friendship — one that could perhaps become something more.
Yet Theseus is doomed to die as an offering to the Minotaur, that monster beneath the palace — unless he can kill the beast first. And that "monster" is Ariadne’s brother..."

So as you guys may know: I'm all about the mythology being in YA books and going WOOHOO over it. So you bet I was excited when I saw this retelling of the myth about the Minotaur!

And it's GOOD! Really. It's VERY good!

In this version of the story, the minotaur isn't a monster, but a physically dysformed boy who will always have the mind of a 4-year-old. And I was sad for this poor boy, while I cannot say he has never hurt a fly, he can't help it and I felt for him.

And then there's Ariadne, She-Who-Will-Be-Goddess. She is so brave, even when she finds herself facing rituals her mother never explained to her and doing this wrong will destroy her future and everyone she loves. I loved one part of the story, where it's shown how there are always two sides to a story: it talks about how a woman killed her children. One says she's insane, another says she did it out of love, becaus she knew they would be killed in a less kind way otherwise.

I didn't much care for Theseus, but the main focus is on Ariadne, so it didn't bother me. I absolutely loved all the rituals and the mystery of it all. I kept turning the pages to find out what it was exactly that went down during the ritual to actually become the Goddess, I did kind of guess it, but still, there was such suspense!

I loved how it all ended and I'm kind of glad this book is a stand-alone, because while I love series, this story is good as it is, being one book.
Oh, and this book made me glad to live in the 21st century, childbirth on ancient Krete is harsh.

My rating: 4,5 stars

IMM Vlog (3)

2011-10-30T14:25:00.000+01:00

IMM is hosted by the lovely Kristi from the Story Siren!

If I'm again not so coherent, I blaim it on the fact that I'm a bit tired after going to a concert last night (I feel like I'm turning into a little old lady here..).

BOUGHT:
The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin
Het Grote Boek van Madelief by Guus Kuijer (childhood favourite!)

BIRTHDAY GIFTS:
Matched by Ally Condie
Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce

NETGALLEY:
My Very Unfairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski
Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
Shoes by Giorgio Riello and Peter McNeil
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
Trouble at the Wedding by Laura Lee Guhrke
My Ruthless Prince by Gaelen Foley
The Duke is Mine by Eloisa James
How The Marquess Was Won by Julie Ann Long
Candlewax by C. Bailey Sims
Fractured Light by Rachel McClellan
Pride by Penny Jordan
The Traitor's Daughter by Paula Brandon
Mistress by Midnight by Nicola Cornick
Midnight in Austenland by Shannon Hale
God's Eye by A.J. Scudiere
Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

GALLEYGRAB:
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Death Watch by Ari Berk
Legacy by Molly Cochran

I know, I need to lay off the requesting on NetGalley for a while ;) This is about 2-3 weeks worth of books I think, which makes it less bad, yes?

Oh, and what I meant to say at the end of the video was 'Hope you had a great book week and happy reading', but somehow the sound and the image didn't match up and it's a bit wonky.

Anyway, what did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link in the comments!

The Seduction of Scandal by Cathy Maxwell

2011-10-28T23:48:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: The Seduction of Scandal by Cathy Maxwell
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, September 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "It’s never wise to blackmail a highwayman. Lady Corinne, rebellious daughter of the duke of Banfield, refuses to marry Lord Freddie Sherwin. Yes, he’s the catch of the season and the man her father chose for her. He’s also the most despicable male of her acquaintance. With her wedding only weeks away, she runs away and finds herself a prisoner of the notorious Thorn! The rich and powerful tremble at the highwayman’s name, while England’s villagers rejoice in his bold exploits. His identity is a secret; his life a mystery - until Lady Corinne tumbles into his arms. If the Thorn wants her silence, he must hide her until her wedding day passes. It’s a devil’s bargain and one that can only lead to a hangman’s noose. Corinne believes it the perfect plan - until her highwayman reveals a passionate lover’s heart, and she realizes that in the seduction of scandal, she may have found the hero she’s been waiting for her whole life."

Okay, so based on the summary, I was thinking: ooh, dangerous man with a soft heart! And I like my dangerous men to have softs spots in their hearts, if they're just dangerous, it's no fun. But to my disappointment, the man was not so much dangerous as he was soft.

I'm wondering what went wrong in the combination of this book and me, and I think it's the fact that I didn't quite believe everything that went down. And most of all: I didn't believe the romance. I did not believe that one meeting, where they made a scene has him mooning after her. And I did not believe that just because she lived in his house for 3 days, she suddenly loves him, when pretty much all he's done is ignore her and spend as much time outside of his house as possible.

I was kind of expecting the big twist at the end and this made it pretty anticlimactic for me. And I never really warmed up to the two main characters, which is something that can make or break a book for me.

I did like the story in itself and that the Thorn was a sort of Robin Hood, he was in truth a good man, but not the dangerous man I was expecting based on the summary.

My rating: 2 stars

The Lady of the Rivers by Philippa Gregory

2011-10-26T09:57:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: The Lady of the Rivers (The Cousins' War #3) by Philippa Gregory
Publisher/Date published: Simon & Schuster, October 18th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "Jacquetta, daughter of the Count of Luxembourg and kinswoman to half the royalty of Europe, was married to the great Englishman John, Duke of Bedford, uncle to Henry VI. Widowed at the age of nineteen she took the extraordinary risk of marrying a gentleman of her house-hold for love, and then carved out a life for herself as Queen Margaret of Anjou's close friend and a Lancaster supporter - until the day that her daughter Elizabeth Woodville fell in love and married the rival king Edward IV. Of all the little-known but important women of the period, her dramatic story is the most neglected. With her links to Melusina, and to the founder of the house of Luxembourg, together with her reputation for making magic, she is the most haunting of heroines."

I had completely forgotten how much I love Philippa Gregory's books! I've read The Other Boleyn Girl and The Queen's Fool and I loved them, I don't know why I waited this long to read another of this author's books!

I'm such an anglophile and every time I pick up one of the books about a part of english history, I can't believe I didn't know more about that time period already. Seriously, I think we skipped the interesting parts of history in high school.

I loved Jacquetta as a character! She was such a sweet young girl, who just wanted to be loved and was disappointed when she found out her first husband didn't marry her for love at all. I loved that she had visions and that they were both beautiful and tragic. And Richard! OMG, Richard! If there ever was a swoonworthy historical character, it's him! Wouldn't you want your man to say 'I always come home to you'?? I know I do! But then again, mine doesn't go off to fight wars, only soccer matches ;)

I never knew Henry VI was so messed up! And OMG, the foreshadowing for what is to become of Elizabeth Woodville, Jacquetta's daughter! Sure, I've heard of the princes in the Tower that nobody is really sure about what happened to them, but that she was their mother... I can't wait to read the previous two books in the series, I'm dying to find out EVERYTHING!

My rating: 5 stars

The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

2011-10-24T12:14:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: The Poisoned House by Michael Ford
Publisher/Date published: Albert Whitman & Company, September 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "The year is 1856, and orphan Abigail Tamper lives below stairs in Greave Hall, a crumbling manor house in London. Lord Greave is plagued by madness, and with his son Samuel away fighting in the Crimea, the running of Greave Hall is left to Mrs Cotton, the tyrannical housekeeper. The only solace for the beleaguered staff is to frighten Mrs Cotton by pretending the house is haunted.
So when a real ghost makes an appearance - that of her beloved mother - no one is more surprised than Abi. But the spirit has a revelation that threatens to destroy Abi’s already fragile existence: she was murdered, and by someone under their very own roof. With Samuel returned to England badly wounded, it’s up to Abi to nurse him back to health, while trying to discover the identity of the killer in their midst. As the chilling truth dawns, Abi’s world is turned upside down."

I have mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I appreciate it for what it is: a YA mystery/ghost story. On the other hand: it kind of fell a bit flat for me.

I wasn't feeling the whole mystery and I figured some major plot points out pretty early on. And towards the end, Abi had a completely too-stupid-to-live moment. And I'm glad it was only a moment, but seriously? Who would be stupid enough to go to sleep somewhere a killer can get to you? Seriously? How dumb can you be?

Anyway, there was the obvious villain Mrs. Cotton, the housekeeper, who is just plain evil. She drowns kittens. EVIL! I was horrified by what she was doing and other than spite, the reason behind this remained unclear for me. Which was another thing that bothered me.

However, I did enjoy this book and I didn't feel the need to put the book down and discontinue it, so there was some appeal. I liked Abi, she was a caring character and though maybe a bit naive, she was a pretty smart girl. I like smart girls.

I also liked the sort of epilogue, that chronicles the rest of Abi's life, because I always wonder what becomes of the characters I've just spend some hours with.

My rating: 3 stars

Read-a-Thon: End of Event Meme

2011-10-23T13:22:00.002+02:00

1. Which hour was most daunting for you?
Honestly, I think it was Hour 10, it was midnight here and everything was going quiet...
2. Could you list a few high-interest books that you think could keep a Reader engaged for next year?
Well, the Hunger Games are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat in my opinion :)
3. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
Nope, I love it the way it is.
4. What do you think worked really well in this year’s Read-a-thon?
The updates on the site were meticulously on time and response to e-mails was very good and quick!
5. How many books did you read?
I have about half an hour left as I'm typing this, so I'm thinking it'll be 1,5
6. What were the names of the books you read?
The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin and now reading Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
7. Which book did you enjoy most?
Epic Fail feels like it's gonna be a cute read, but The Kingdom of Gods was EPIC amazing high fantasy, so I'm going with that :)
8. Which did you enjoy least?
...
9. How likely are you to participate in the Read-a-thon again? What role would you be likely to take next time?
If I can free up my day: ABSOLUTELY! And I'll probably participate as a reader again, I'm loving it :)

Thanks so much to all the lovely hosts, now excuse me while I go finish this thang! Still got my game-face on ;)

Read-a-Thon: Mid-event survey

2011-10-23T02:17:00.003+02:00

Mid-Event Survey:
1. What are you reading right now?
I'm actually still reading my first book: The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin
2. How many books have you read so far?
This is my first... I'm feeling like and underachiever.
3. What book are you most looking forward to for the second half of the Read-a-thon?
Finishing this one and then Epic Fail, cause I've heard very good things about it :)
4. Did you have to make any special arrangements to free up your whole day?
Not really.
5. Have you had many interruptions? How did you deal with those?
There was the cooking dinner thing and the mom driving me home thing. I just decided to go with it, because I can't alienate everyone ;)
6. What surprises you most about the Read-a-thon, so far?
That I'm pretty awake right now!
7. Do you have any suggestions for how to improve the Read-a-thon next year?
My brain is shutting down, I do not have suggestions for anything.
8. What would you do differently, as a Reader or a Cheerleader, if you were to do this again next year?
Try to sleep in some more before the start, since it starts at 2PM here.
9. Are you getting tired yet?
YES! But to be fair, it's 2:19 AM as I'm typing this, so I think I'm allowed. It's way past my bedtime ;)
10. Do you have any tips for other Readers or Cheerleaders, something you think is working well for you that others may not have discovered?
Honestly, I don't know. I'm just reading a book I love and tweeting in between finishing chapters and it works for me :)

12 hours done! I have started twitching and am laying of the tea for a while (still caffeine in there, though not as much as in coffee). I may also move to my bed in a little while, so I may go quiet on Twitter for a bit.
Hope all of you participating are enjoying the read-a-thon!

Read-a-Thon hour 1: introduction meme

2011-10-22T14:12:00.002+02:00

So we're off!

And because I love participating in these memes, here's the first one. Let me introduce myself for those who don't know me :)

1)Where are you reading from today?
2 places: my parents' house for the first few hours and after that my own home.
2)Three random facts about me…
-My favourite colors are blue, red and purple
-I love pumpkin soup
-One of my parents' dogs is the best footwarmer ever!
3)How many books do you have in your TBR pile for the next 24 hours?
For now I've planned to read The Kingdom of Gods and Epic Fail, after that we'll see.
4)Do you have any goals for the read-a-thon (i.e. number of books, number of pages, number of hours, or number of comments on blogs)?
My goal is 3 books and as many hours of reading as I can possibly manage.
5)If you’re a veteran read-a-thoner, any advice for people doing this for the first time?
I'm a bad veteran (one time veteran, but still), I don't really have tips. Or maybe one: don't read in a room where the TV's on. My parents have their TV on and are watching crime shows, majorly distracting!

Ok, so that's it for now, back to the actual reading :)

Dewey's 24 hour Read-a-Thon!

2011-10-22T12:37:00.003+02:00

So, who's as excited as I am? It's almost here! I loved participating in the read-a-thon in April, so of course I signed up for this one as well :)
Have no idea what I'm talking about? Then you can go here and check it out, there's less than 1,5 hours less till the start if anyone wants to sign up last minute :)

I'm gonna try and stay awake for the whole thing, but I haven't been feeling well this last week and today isn't really any better, so I may need to catch some sleep at one point, so as not to make it worse.

In my reading pile:
-The Traitor's Daughter by Kathleen Kent (though I may give up on this one, since it's not really grabbing my attention)
-The Kingdom of Gods by N.K. Jemisin (SO excited to get to this one!!)
-Epic Fail by Claire Lazebnik (this seems like a fun, quick read)
-Whatever's next on my review list.

I'm hoping to make it through at least 3 books, but some time may go into cooking dinner and since my parents are driving me home (which takes them 1,5 hour) later, I can't shut them out througout the drive, cause then I'd be a bad daughter.

Good luck everybody and I'm updating every few hours probably and am also on Twitter (@DBetweenpages) if anyone wants to chat.

In The Arms of A Marquess by Katharine Ashe

2011-10-21T10:49:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: In the Arms of a Marquess (Rogues of the Sea #3) by Katharine Ashe
Publisher/Date published: Avon Books, September 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "She had never forgotten him…
Miss Octavia Pierce is witty, well off, and shockingly unwed. Still, she is far too successful in society to remain on the shelf forever, and her family has hopes that Octavia will finally make the perfect match. What they do not know is that years earlier Octavia was scandalously tempted by the one man capable of sweeping her off her feet — the man now known as the Marquess of Doreé.
A third son, never meant to inherit, Lord Ben Doreé has abandoned his past and grown accustomed to his illustrious new position of wealth and power. But he has never forgotten Octavia, and now she desperately needs his help in a most dangerous, clandestine matter. Although she claims she has put the memories of the passion they shared behind her, Ben is determined to once again have her in his arms — and in his bed."

First off, let me tell you that this book is part of the Kiss and Teal initiative and I think that's wonderful! Raising awareness for ovarian cancer is important, I have seen the destructiveness of this particular kind of cancer and it's horrifying.

But on to the story, which is much more lighthearted, I assure you :)

I was reading this book on the Friday the whole drama with my friends went down and this was just what I needed. Some diversion, filled with emotion and romance and I really enjoyed it!

I read the second book in this series, Captured By a Rogue Lord, a while ago and I LOVED that one so much, I had high expectations for this book. Though it didn't completely live up to it, it was wonderful. The tension between these two was amazing and even though at the beginning at the book you don't know what exactly transpired between them in the past, you KNOW it's big and life-changing. And you feel the pain and heartbreak and everything. It was wonderful.

What made me like this less was that I had the nagging idea that these two were making things unnecessarily difficult for themselves. Especially towards the end, when I just wanted to scream COMMUNICATE &#@!#! Seriously.

But this was a lovely read and it managed to get me into the world of handsome men and beautiful dresses, which is just what I wanted :)

My rating: 4 stars

New YA Imprint from Musa!

2011-10-20T16:54:00.004+02:00

I'm always excited to hear a publisher is launching a YA imprint, so when I heard about this one, I wanted to share :)

The press release:

"Musa Publishing Launches Euterpe YA Imprint
An Imprint for YA Lovers in all Genres

Musa Publishing is thrilled to announce that its Young Adult Imprint, Euterpe, launches on Friday, October 21, 2011. With the growing demand for YA books, Musa is looking forward to offering diversity in genres for YA lovers from 13 to 113. From Sweet Romances and fantastical fantasies, to Sensational Sci-fi and a few more thrown in for flavor, Musa will offer something for everyone’s reading pleasure.

The Blacksmith’s Daughter by Arley Cole is the first book in the Euterpe imprint.

She believes she is only a blacksmith’s daughter, but he must discover the truth or risk losing his land — and his life.

Acwellen Lex'Magen rules as liege lord of a small country bounded by forbidding mountains and powerful neighbors. When the neighboring baron, allied with a powerful wizard, attempts to take over his land, first by political, then by covert means, Acwellen finds an ally of his own in Enith Roweson, an unassuming blacksmith who possesses powers he’s only known of in legends. As he attempts to unravel both the plots against him—including the nature of the monsters sent to assassinate him—and the mysterious powers Enith is only beginning to understand she has, he also finds himself falling in love with the blacksmith’s daughter.

Check out this book and other YA books at http://euterpe.musapublishing.com/
Follow the Euterpe Blog at http://euterpe-ya.blogspot.com/
And Like us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Euterpe-YA-Books/154593351291764"

I'm hoping to see lots of great YA books published by them! I think the Blacksmith's Daughter sounds really good :)

Past Perfect by Leila Sales

2011-10-19T13:16:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Past Perfect by Leila Sales
Publisher/Date published: Simon Pulse, October 4th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated... even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.
Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it..."

This was such a relaxing read! THIS is what I want to be reading on a sunny afternoon! And I did because the weather decided to be nice one last time before going into full fall-nasty-mode :)

Do you remember heartbreak at sixteen? I do! I remember the all-consuming feeling of it and how you think you'll never find someone as amazing as that first love again. And how you don't want to let go of your sadness because then what? I could so easily relate to Chelsea and connect with her, it was amazing!

And the boy who she's all heartbroken over? What a douchebag! Seriously! That guy is just asking for a bitch-slap if anyone wants my opinion.

But enter love-interest Dan, who just lights up the scenes he's in with his amazing boyness. He is such a good guy and I love the moments between him and Chelsea. I loved him. I wish I could have had a Dan when I was 16. And I love that he wasn't pretty. While I appreciate the hotness that are boys in YA, sometimes they're a bit too pretty and Dan had the right amount of handsomeness, but not overly pretty. Am I still making sense?

The only thing I really had an issue with: Chelsea's relationship with her father. I mean, I know parents can be annoying, but this seemed a bit off and didn't really contribute to the storyline in my opinion.

But this was the perfect way to end the summery period at the start of fall and I really enjoyed this book!

My rating: 4,5 stars

Top Ten Books I Bought Because of Their Covers

2011-10-18T12:25:00.015+02:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the other blog I participate in: The Broke and the Bookish. Head on over and join in on the fun!

This week's Top Ten:
Top Ten Books I Bought Because of their Covers!

I think we ALL know the saying 'Don't judge a book by its cover', but well, EVERYONE does. And it's no wonder, since it's the first thing you see, so if the cover is horrendous or boring, it probably won't draw your attention enough to pick it up. Besides, it doesn't look as good on your shelf ;)

These are all books I own as physical copies, most of them haven't been read yet... But the cover was too pretty to resist :) (let's pretend it's the cover and not my out-of-control book-buying habit)

1. Queen Victoria, Demon Hunter by A.E. Moorat: both the cover and the title are pleasing. I LOVE the idea of the proper Victoria hunting demons in her spare time and I really enjoyed this book!

2. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin: this cover left me staring: THE PRETTY!! WANT! Without even knowing what it was about. And then I fell in love with the story as well, WIN! The other two books in the series have very pretty covers as well :)

3. The Fool's Girl by Celia Rees: I don't know exactly why, but I really like this cover.

4. Matched by Ally Condie: the cover is so pretty and shiny and the green just works!

5. Entangled by Cat Clarke: the red hair! I do hope the girl in the book turns out to have red hair as well, else I'll be annoyed.

6. Divergent by Veronica Roth: I don't know exactly what that is floating above the city, but it's PRETTY! (looks like fire, am I wrong?)

7. The Glass Demon by Helen Grant: SO PRETTY! And glittery! In real life even prettier than the picture.

8. Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman: I'm loving it, the pretty red shoe on the marble, WIN!

9. Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn: I really like the contrast between the red and white dress the girls have on and well, it says Rome right there on the cover. LOVE books about ancient Rome.

10. Waterfall by Lisa T. Bergren: it's pretty dark, but I like it. Makes me want to grab it and read and get lost in the story!

So, what about you? Oh, and except for the first two, I haven't read any of these, so which one should be bumped up on the list?

Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman

2011-10-17T10:44:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Dael and the Painted People (Zan-Gah #3) by Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher/Date published: Earthshaker Books, August 30th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher

Goodreads summary: "When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends - including a troop of crows - and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous."

I liked this book better than I did the second one in the series, Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country. In that one, Dael annoyed me and was being all creepy and violent. In this one, he is still a bit creepy, but he's a more developed character and is learning to deal with his rage and with what happened to him in the past.

The one thing that has bothered me in this series as a whole: there is virtually no dialogue. Everything is related, but there's no dialogue. And there's a whole lot of telling instead of showing going on.

But anyway, I really enjoyed the different cultures Shickman presents in his novels. In every one we meet a new tribe/group of people and they all have their own quirks, it's really nice! The painted people were so interesting! And I loved how Sparrow came into her own finally.

I wasn't completely sold on Dael's miracles and powers. To me, his episodes of 'fainting' sounded more like epilepsy, with the flashes he sometimes saw before they happened and such. But well, the miracles show the power of mind over matter!

All in all, this was an enjoyable, quick read with a lot of cultural diversity!

My rating: 3 stars

IMM Vlog (2)

2011-10-16T13:15:00.004+02:00

In My Mailbox is brought to the blogosphere by the lovely Kristi at the Story Siren. It gives us all the opportunity to show what has landed in our mailbox over the weeks, be it bought, borrowed or gifted :)

And I have been winning stuff!!

And I hope I was slightly more coherent this time, though my excitement about the EPIC book win probably didn't help ;)

BOUGHT:
Daughters of Rome by Kate Quinn
Mistress of Rome by Kate Quinn

WON:
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
Many thanks to Rachel from Fiktshun's Ramblings for these book: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!

Boxed set of A Song of Ice and Fire 1-4
Signed hardcover of A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin
Seriously you guys, these books have been sitting on the couch next to me for the last couple of weeks, I can't believe I won them! And I can't believe I said the Song of Ice and Fire TRILOGY, cause obviously, I know there's more than 3 books in the series...
Huge thank you to the wonderful people over at the Book Depository!

NETGALLEY:
Geek Girl by Cindy C. Bennett
Touch by Jus Accardo
Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley
Henry VIII: Wolfman by A.E. Moorat
The Merchant's Daughter by Melanie Dickerson
Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder
The Warrior Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Picture Perfect by Lanie Kincaid

So, that's my epic two weeks worth of books! What did you get in your mailbox? Leave your link in the comments and I'll be sure to come over and check it out after I get back from the birthday party I'm at this afternoon :)

Happy reading!

TGIF at GReads! (2)

2011-10-14T10:32:00.007+02:00

TGIF is such a fun feature! I don't participate all that often, but I love reading people's responses :)

This Friday's Question:

Show & Tell: Where do you grab a book and get lost in it? Show us your favorite spot you like to read at.

Even though anytime it's remotely warm outside, I grab my chair and sit on my tiny balcony or sit in my parents' back yard, this has got to be my favourite reading spot:

When I got it (for free, yay for being in college and getting free stuff!), this couch was so horrendously ugly, I had to get that green throw for it. It's collapsed on the side I sit in, but it's so comfy, I don't want to get another one. I got new pillow cases just yesterday, aren't they pretty? :)

I read, watch TV, blog, study, eat in that spot. In other words: I LIVE there. So, if you ever come across me on the interwebs, chances are that's where I am, beneath my pretty new blanket (it's really soft too!), which was a birthday gift. My friends know me well :)

So, I'd LOVE to see where you guys read! Leave me your link in the comments and I'll be sure to come over and check it out!

The Legacy by Katherine Webb

2011-10-14T09:34:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: The Legacy by Katherine Webb
Publisher/Date published: HarperCollins, September 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "When they were children, Erica Calcott and her sister, Beth, spent their summer holidays at Storton Manor. Now, following the death of their grandmother, they have returned to the grand, imposing house in Wiltshire, England. Unable to stem the tide of childhood memories that arise as she sorts through her grandmother’s belongings, Erica thinks back to the summer her cousin Henry vanished mysteriously from the estate, an event that tore their family to pieces. It is time, she believes, to lay the past to rest, bring her sister some peace, and finally solve the mystery of her cousin’s disappearance.
But sifting through remnants of a bygone time is bringing a secret family history to light—one that stretches back over a century, to a beautiful society heiress in Oklahoma, a haunting, savage land across the ocean. And as past and present converge, Erica and Beth must come to terms with two shocking acts of betrayal... and the heartbreaking legacy they left behind."

I have to be honest, it took me a lot of pages to get into this book. I told myself I'd read at least 75 and if I didn't like it then, I'd pull a DNF. When I got to 75, I didn't necessarily like it, but I felt I didn't want to put it down to never be picked up again. So I decided to keep on reading and slowly, but steadily, the sotry grew on me and I ended up enjoying it.

The main reason I had troubles with this one is that I couldn't relate to the main characters. More specifically: I couldn't relate to Erica, who is the main character in the present day setting. I could more easily like Caroline somehow. I don't know if the switching POV was partly to blame for this, but somehow I never fully connected to either of them.

And seriously, mental illness seems to run in the family! That's all I'm gonna say on that account.

The romance left me going WTF?! Seriously, I'd be so ANGRY! Especially at what he did near the end. Gah! And Erica's like, oh, that's cool. No it's not cool!
And seriously, they were all pretty ready to do what was convenient instead of doing what is right. If you have read this, you know I'm talking about what happened to Henry. Seriously!

BUT: I did like the story and the whole intrigue of it was more complicated than I had thought at first. Though I did figure most of it out before it got revealed. I definitely had some major issues with the story, mostly that I felt disconnected, but there was just something about it that kept me reading..

My rating: 2,5 stars

Road From The West by Rosanne E. Lortz

2011-10-12T08:00:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Road From The West (Chronicles of Tancred #1) by Rosanne E. Lortz
Publisher/Date published: Madison Street Publishing, September 2nd 2011
How I got this book: received it from the author as part of the Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tour

Summary: "A tale of Courage, Conquest, Intrigue, and Honor.
You know the Knights Templar, you know Richard the Lionheart — now learn the story that started it all in the adventures of the First Crusade.
Haunted by guilt from the past and nightmares of the future, a young Norman named Tancred takes the cross and vows to be the first to free Jerusalem from the infidels. As he journeys to the Holy Land, he braves vast deserts, mortal famine, and the ever - present ambushes of the enemy Turks — but the greatest danger of all is deciding which of the Crusader lords to trust. A mysterious seer prophesies that Tancred will find great love and great sorrow on his journey, but the latter seems intent on claiming him before he can find the first. Intrigues and passions grow as every battle brings the Crusaders one step closer to Jerusalem. Not all are destined to survive the road from the West."

I really love historical fiction and getting to know more about the periods that flashed by in my high school history classes, but we never really delved into. I sometimes wonder that we skipped over the interesting things like crusades and ancient Greece and Rome and discussed the first and second World War until I snoozed through it all...

Anyway, I have never read a book about the crusades before, sure it was mentioned, but not in detail. So I was really excited to be reading this book and discover more. And it succeeded on the acount of teaching me more about this time period.

As for the story part of it: I felt there was something missing for me. I think it might have been that I didn't really connect with Tancred and didn't really care what happened to him. Like when his brother died. Seriously, his brother was the perfect example of too-stupid-to-live and he actually died because of it (appropriate right?). Also, something that happens towards the end, where he chooses meeting a pretty girl over fighting in a battle that was HUGE and what he was actually there for... This didn't seem realistic to me and I didn't really like the whole romance.

Maybe it's also the fact that I'm not religious. At all. I don't kwow, there were just several things that bothered me.

BUT: that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy the book. Cause I did. I enjoyed reading about the intrigue among the different captains leading the crusade. I really liked the woman who is in love with Tancred, though he doesn't know it. And you know, it made me curious to find out more about the crusades.

My rating: 3 stars

Road From the West Book Tour links:

Tour Schedule
Rosanne E. Lortz's Website

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

2011-10-11T11:24:00.003+02:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the other blog I participate in: The Broke and the Bookish. We LOVE lists, head on over and join in on the fun! :)

This week is all about books you wish you could read again for the first time. You know, when you had that bright-eyed amazement that just doesn't happen when you re-read something (unless you have a really bad memory ;) but let's assume you don't).

1. ALL the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling: I think this will be on pretty much all the lists. These books were so wonderful and I remember just being sucked in and loving them and loving reading again. It was amazing and I wish I could go back and discover this world and the characters in it all over again.

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins: I remember I couldn't rip myself away from the story and felt disoriented when someone mentioned trivial things like eating, getting out of bed and bathroom breaks...

3. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak: I LOVED this book. There was such a sense of doom and the ending left me going OMG! And crying. And when you know what's coming, well, I don't think my reaction will be as strong the second time around.

4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier: so much love for this book! All twisty-turny, I would love to experience it for the first time again. I love the feeling of falling in love with a book.

5. Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan: I think I'll love these books just as much if I reread them, but there's just something about discovering world that is so amazing...

6. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss: the first book I read and loved in 2010, guys you should all read it! This is another world-discovering thing.

7. Graceling by Kristing Cashore: I actually gave this one to a friend for her birthday a while ago and I'm hoping she'll love it as much as I did.

8. Juniper and Wise Child by Monica Furlong: these books were among my absolute favourites as a kid and I would give anything to go back and read them for the first time and discover that yes, women can be tough and feminine and WITCHES!! So much love for these books.

9. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman: I don't think it'll be the same reading them while I know how it all ends...

10. Die For Me by Amy Plum: I'll love it the same the second time around, but you know, there's something about that first read...

My favourite book of all time, Pride and Prejudice, isn't on this list. I love it more every time I read it, so I don't want to go back to the first time (mainly because I was 13 and didn't really get all the layers and all the humor), I want to keep rereading it!

So, that's my list. What's on yours?

Elizabeth, The Enchantress by Lavinia Kent

2011-10-10T19:02:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Elizabeth, The Enchantress (The Real Duchesses of London #4) by Lavinia Kent
Publisher/Date published: Avon Impulse, September 1st 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Regency England just got real(ity)
Episode 4: How to Succeed in Marriage without Really Trying
Elizabeth, the Countess of Westhampton, has found her husband. Unfortunately, she’d have preferred it if he’d stayed lost! How is she supposed to react when the man who married her and then abandoned her without a wedding night suddenly reappears? Obviously, she’ll have to plan her revenge very carefully..."

You may have heard me mention before that while I like the novellas I've read lately, I always have this feeling that if it was a full-length novel, it would be better. Well, maybe I was just not reading the right novella! This one didn't feel like it lacked depth at all!

There were some real problems between Elizabeth and William and I loved that! I mean, CONFLICT! YAY! I teared up a couple of times and it was wonderful!

The thing is with novellas, you HAVE to get sucked into the story right away, else it will be over before you know it, leaving you disconnected. I immediately felt pulled into this one and I loved that.

I do think I could have benefitted from reading the previous novellas in the series in regards to the relationship of the duchesses, but well, I managed.

I loved this one and I think I should be reading more of Lavinia Kent's books :)

My rating: 5 stars

Some Personal Stuff

2011-10-09T12:45:00.003+02:00

I was going to record an IMM today, but all the drama going on with my friends has got me feeling pretty low and I'm not up to being happy and excited about books.
I don't normally talk a lot about personal stuff on the blog, but I felt the need to share this.

For the last two weeks there has been some drama going on in the group of friends I have had since high school. Even though we graduated over 6 years ago, we try to keep in touch and do stuff together, which isn't easy as everyone went off to college and we're spread out across the country.
There was a disagreement and it sort of escalated last Friday and it made one of my friends decide to not be a part of our group anymore. And it hurts. Because we had fun just two weeks ago at my birthday party and well, I think the group will be really falling apart after this. I don't think we'll ever really go back to the way things were before all this happened.

It feels like the end of an era. I know we've been growing apart for some time now and something like this happening was probably inevitable, but it still really sucks, you know? These are the friends I saw every day in high school and we've been through so much together. Some I've even known since kindergarten.

Sorry to bother you guys with my drama, but I needed to get it out. I think I'm just gonna hide beneath my blanket all day and read and watch some TV. Hopefully next week will be better, because I do have some great books to show you all.

Fake Me A Match by Lauren Barnholdt

2011-10-08T10:58:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Fake Me A Match by Lauren Barnholdt
Publisher/Date published: Aladdin, October 4th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher as an egalley

Goodreads summary: "Avery LaDuke is in the market for a new best friend. Her former BFF, Sophie Burns, dumped her to hang out with the popular crowd at school. But the good news Avery's getting a new sister who's bound to be her new BFF too! Blake is her age and she's from New York. How cool is that? But things don't go quite as smoothly as Avery hoped. And what's with Blake becoming BFFs with Sophie? Huh?? That wasn’t supposed to happen!
When Avery gets put in charge of the eighth grade charity project, an on-line matchmaking service, she thinks she can use this project to get Blake back on her side. She decides to fix the matches so that Blake gets matched with Sam, the most popular boy in school, but when the matches come out something has gone seriously wrong! Not only is Avery matched with Sam, but the class advisor knows that someone tampered with the program. On top of that, Avery discovers that she actually kind of, sort of, likes Sam... and he likes her back. Torn between the guy she likes and her sister/best friend, Avery is left wondering: is there any possible way she can keep them both?"

I SO loved Avery! Avery is such a wonderful girl! She's nice and selfless and she so wants to be liked! She truly believes that because Blake is going to be her stepsister, they will be insta-best friends and I was so rooting for her that everything was gonna work out! She manages to land herself in some funny situations and well, this girl is just awesome.

Avery was so scared of loosing Blake as a friend that she denies herself the opportunity to be with the boy she likes. I don't think my 13-year-old self would have done that.

One other thing I loved about this book: Avery and Blake were both (mostly) ok with the fact their parents were getting married. There was no evil step-whatever going on. Things that went wrong weren't caused by spite, HOORAY for this!

Sam was adorable, really. He sounds like a boy 13-year-old me would have fallen head over heels for and I loved the boyness of him. He turns out to be such a sweetie!

Anyway, this was such a CUTE read! I really enjoyed the other novel I read by Lauren Barnholdt: Sometimes It Happens, and this one convinced me it's not a one-hit-wonder. I think I've found me a new author for my favourites list :)

My rating: 4,5 stars

Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon

2011-10-06T19:31:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Dead Beautiful (Dead Beautiful #1) by Yvonne Woon
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion Books, September 21st 2010
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "On the morning of her sixteenth birthday, Renée Winters was still an ordinary girl. She spent her summers at the beach, had the perfect best friend, and had just started dating the cutest guy at school. No one she'd ever known had died. But all that changes when she finds her parents dead in the Redwood Forest, in what appears to be a strange double murder.
After the funeral Renée’s wealthy grandfather sends her to Gottfried Academy, a remote and mysterious boarding school in Maine, where she finds herself studying subjects like Philosophy, Latin, and the “Crude Sciences.”
It’s there that she meets Dante Berlin, a handsome and elusive boy to whom she feels inexplicably drawn. As they grow closer, unexplainable things begin to happen, but Renée can’t stop herself from falling in love. It’s only when she discovers a dark tragedy in Gottfried’s past that she begins to wonder if the Academy is everything it seems.
Little does she know, Dante is the one hiding a dangerous secret, one that has him fearing for her life."

Okay, so you guys know how I complain about insta-love, right? This is probably one of the only books that has a GOOD and acceptable explanation for it. I'm not going to delve into the details, cause it's major spoilery, but seriously. And I kind of guessed it, but still.

I really liked Renée. She lost her parents and obviously she's mourning them, but she doesn't go around whining about it, she just grieves. One thing I didn't like was that she had a falling out with her best friend from back home. I get that their lives are going separate ways, but well, it almost felt like their friendship wasn't all that good to begin with.

And yeah, I could see the plot twist coming from a mile away. I mean, a blind monkey could have seen it coming. But I did like it and it leaves me wondering what will happen next. Because YES, this is another series, and I'm not sure if it's just two books or if there'll be more. But I think this story isn't finished yet and I'm dying to know how it ends. I didn't fall in love with Dante, but who knows, maybe in the sequel?

SPOILER ALERT!! Light up to read!
So seriously, what annoyed me: HOW did Renée NOT figure out sooner Dante was dead?? Seriously?!

I thought the whole lore behind this was really interesting. And creepy. You know what creeps me out in horror movies? When it's the kid that's evil and is doing the EVIL!
The classes Renée takes are interesting as well, I'd LOVE those classes!

My rating: 3,5 stars

Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country by Allan Richard Shickman

2011-10-04T09:06:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country (Zan-Gah #2) by Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher/Date published: Earthshaker Books, September 26th 2009
How I got this book: received it from the publisher

Goodreads summary: "The prehistoric saga continues in Zan-Gah and the Beautiful Country, the sequel to the award winning Zan-Gah: A Prehistoric Adventure. In this story, Zan s troubled twin brother, Dael, having suffered greatly during his earlier captivity, receives a ruinous new shock when his wife suddenly dies. Disturbed and traumatized, all of his manic energies explode into acts of hostility and bloodshed. His obsession is the destruction of the wasp men, his first captors, who dwell in the Beautiful Country. When he, Zan-Gah, and a band of adventurers trek to their bountiful home, they find that all of the wasp people have died in war or of disease. The Beautiful Country is empty for the taking, and Zan s people, the Ba-Coro, decide to migrate and resettle there. But the Noi, Dael s cruelest enemies and former tormentors, make the same migration from their desert home, and the possibility develops of contention and war over this rich and lovely new land."

Ok, so I enjoyed the first book in this series and while I didn't LOVE it, it was enjoyable and I liked it.
And I was wondering what new adventures Zan and his brother would go on in the next book.

Well, let's say that while I did not enjoy this book as much as the first one, I did still like it. One problem I had was that I could not sympathize with Dael. I get that he has suffered a great loss and has been emotionally scarred due to what happened to him in the first book. BUT. He is kind of evil. And totally out of control. He is scary!

I did like the romance thing between Zan-Gah and she-who-shall-not-be-named. He is such a boy and doesn't really seem to understand her or why he's hurting her. So typical ;)

If any of you have read it: I thought the time it took for the whole tribe to travel to the beautiful country was off, since Dael and Zan traveled there in the book and it seemed to only take days, not months. But I could be wrong.

There were scenes who were really brutal! Except for the violent parts, I would classify this as Middle Grade, but the violence is very graphic! I don't remember if there were things like this in the books I read way back when, but I think this could probably have given me nightmares.

Anyway, I did like this book and I really liked Zan-Gah. While he is sort of naive when it comes to his brother and his love-interest, he is a GOOD guy. And I like good guys.

My rating: 2,5 stars

IMM VLOG!! (1)

2011-10-02T13:20:00.003+02:00

As always a big thank you to the wonderful Kristi from the Story Siren for hosting!

My first ever vlog, which is somewhat (or actually majorly) scary. I SWEAR I'm more articulate usually, but this was so exciting I forgot how to.
And I'm sorry to the people whose names I pronounced and massacred. Names and I don't go so well together apparantly.
Oh, and tell me, does my accent suck really bad?

WON:
Die for Me by Amy Plum, THANK YOU AMY!!
A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young, THANK YOU LENA @ Addicted 2 Novels

Physical review copy:
Road from the West by Rosanne E. Lortz, thank you Rosanne for sending it to me!

BOUGHT:
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier
Mary Anne by Daphne du Maurier
The Flight of the Falcon by Daphne du Maurier
Sepulchre (which is apparantly unpronouncable by little me..) by Kate Mosse
Van Rijn by Sarah Emily Miano
Being Elizabeth by Barbara Taylor Bradford

NETGALLEY BOOKS:
To Pleasure a Duke by Sarah Bennett
Ditched by Robin Mellom
The Gray Wolfe Throne by Cinda Williams Chima
Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon
All About Seduction by Katy Madison
The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark
The Lantern by Deborah Lawrenson
Centauriad by K.K. Ross
Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
Ladies in Waiting by Laura L. Sullivan
Croak by Gina Damico
Jane Austen Made Me Do It by various authors
Theft of Swords by Michael J. Sullivan
Shattered Dreams by Ellie James
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Crave by Melissa Darnell
The Wicked and the Just by J. Anderson Coats
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Desired by Nicola Cornick
A Midsummer Night's Sin by Kasey Michaels
Elizabeth, The Enchantress by Lavinia Kent
The Queen's Lady by Eve Edwards
A Scottish Love by Karen Ranney
Prized by Caragh O'Brien
Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm

So, that's my epic list, two months worth of books! Next week I'll show you guys some more wins made of awesome and BIRTHDAY BOOKS!

What should be my next read? Let me know and leave a link to your IMM in the comments so I can be sure to check it out!

The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

2011-09-29T21:54:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: The Gray Wolf Throne (Seven Realms #3) by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, August 30th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Han Alister thought he had already lost everyone he loved. But when he finds his friend Rebecca Morley near death in the Spirit Mountains, Han knows that nothing matters more than saving her. The costs of his efforts are steep, but nothing can prepare him for what he soon discovers: the beautiful, mysterious girl he knew as Rebecca is none other than Raisa ana’Marianna, heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Han is hurt and betrayed. He knows he has no future with a blueblood. And, as far as he’s concerned, the princess’s family killed his own mother and sister. But if Han is to fulfill his end of an old bargain, he must do everything in his power to see Raisa crowned queen.
Meanwhile, some people will stop at nothing to prevent Raisa from ascending. With each attempt on her life, she wonders how long it will be before her enemies succeed. Her heart tells her that the thief-turned-wizard Han Alister can be trusted. She wants to believe it — he’s saved her life more than once. But with danger coming at her from every direction, Raisa can only rely on her wits and her iron - hard will to survive — and even that might not be enough."

OMG! This series gets better with every book I read in it! I kid you not! EPIC FANTASY!! YAY!!

I know I've said this before, but this series is such a good example of why I love epic fantasy. These books are amazing and you know how books seem to suffer from series syndrome these days? As in: they're ALL series? THIS BOOK DOESN'T! Yes, it's a series, but it feels as though it's supposed to be. I love this.

I'm so trying not to be spoilery, so I'm not gonna say much about events, but OMG! They killed off a character I really liked! This is always a bit scary to me, because WHO WILL BE NEXT? The suspense!

Anyway, I really loved meeting up with Raisa and Han again, they are such amazing main characters and I love how their lives come together. I am so rooting for these two! I love how they both become more mature throughout the books and it's nice that they have a real backbone and are not whiny teenagers.

Seriously, this series has it all: swordfighting, romance, scheming, intrigue, beautiful dresses, MAGIC. In short: the whole package. It is EPIC. And you know what: there's another book yet unpublished. I NEED IT. Like yesterday! These books are so good, I'm sure they'll ruin the next book I read for me. They are that awesome.

Itty bitty kitty committee says: CHEEZBURGER!
My rating: 5 stars

Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey

2011-09-27T19:09:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliet Grey
Publisher/Date published: Ballantine Books, August 9th 2011
How I got this book: received it from the publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads summary: "Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon.
Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen."

I have to admit that I didn't really know all that much about Marie Antoinette other than what I was told in history classes about the French Revolution and the unfortunate end of Marie Antoinette and her husband. Even so, this book seemed very well researched and I enjoyed getting to know more about this woman as a young girl.

Marie Antoinette's life is not an easy one it seems, she's a princess yes, but as I've already learned from other historical novels, this ALWAYS comes with a price. Her mother sees her as a pawn in her plans to form a stronger alliance with France and puts a lot of pressure on her to get this. Her mother is very controlling and obviously doesn't think much of her daugher, which always makes me sad, because, well, your parents are the first ones who *should* love you as you are.

I was really surprised about the whole non-consumation of the marriage! I mean, seriously, what is WRONG with Louis XVI??? Wiki says they had 4 children, so it must have gone right somewhere along the way, but really, it was odd. Does anyone know if this is historically accurate? Cause it's weird.
And it's also another point on which Marie Antoinette is pressured from more than one side, everyone wants her to produce the next heir, but well, she can't do it on her own.

I enjoyed getting to know more of this historical figure and the goings-on at Versailles (especially since I've been there, it's beautiful!), but it took me a long time to connect to Marie Antoinette in the book. When I finally did, everything became much more interesting and I really enjoyed the last part.

Itty bitty kitty committee of lolcats says: tastes almost like tuna, but not quite.
My rating: 3,5 stars

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

2011-09-25T17:10:00.000+02:00

Title/Author: The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2) by Cinda Williams Chima
Publisher/Date published: Hyperion, September 28th 2010
How I got this book: own it

Goodreads summary: "You can't always run from danger...
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean danger isn’t far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen."

So, I LOVED the first book in this series. And sometimes the second one can suffer from 'second book syndrome' (especially in a trilogy, which to my delight, I've found out this series is NOT, more books YAY!), but this book didn't for me. YAY!

I loved that I got to know both Raisa and Han better, they are both such strong characters! And I just love Amon Byrne, he's amazing! And Fire Dancer! And Raisa's father! And I love to hate some of the secondary characters as well, which is awesome in its own way.

I really liked that Han and Raisa's storylines come together and I'm so not wanting to be spoilery, but can you say: EXCITEMENT?! And intrigue! And yay for strong female character (and believably so, which is not always the case).

You know what I think? I think you should all go and read this series so I can rave about it with you! I'm already halfway into the next book, The Gray Wolf Throne and it is AWESOME as well!

Itty bitty kitty committee of lolcats says: book as good as cheezburger, can we pleaz haz another?
(I make lame jokes, I know, my rating: 5 stars)

It's My Birthday!!

2011-09-23T10:12:00.000+02:00

YAY! It's my birthday!!

I love birthdays! They are my favourite kind of day, and here's why:

*I always feel so special
*Everyone's nice
*My friends and family are coming
*CAKE!
*PRESENTS!
*CAKE!

Did I mention cake?

I'm having a two-day birthday-palooza and I'm so excited! I'm anticipating some books :) Though that might take a while, my brother already mentioned his presents were late... But YAY!!

Now I'm gonna go off and receive cuddles from the boyfriend :) Hope you all have a great day as well!