Follow Friday

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. This week's question is: "Your favorite book/movie character (example Hermione Granger played by the Emma chick) just walked into the room! Who is it and what would your first reaction be?”

Hmm...My favorite book/movie character is Damon Salvator played by Ian  Somerhalder. I would probably have a mini-freak out and then ask if I could take a picture with him. I wonder if Ian is as funny as Damon. Damon cracks me up every episode.

Love Triangles: Possession by Elana Johnson

Love Triangles is a feature I created to discuss how I feel about love triangles in the novels I read. I am assuming that those reading the love triangles posts have already read the books. Please be aware that these posts may contain spoilers.

Zenn-Violet-Jag

I really don’t know how I feel about this love triangle yet. I didn’t really feel the chemistry between Jag and Violet at first, but as the story progressed I started to understand their relationship a little bit better. They’re certainly compatible in many ways and their personalities are well-suited to each other.

The biggest obstacle to me accepting their relationship is Zenn. The entire time I was reading about Violet and Jag I was thinking, “but what about Zenn?” I understand that Zenn is not the same person as he was before he entered the special forces, but he clearly loves Violet. More importantly, it is obvious that Violet loved him very much as well. I don’t think it’s fair for Violet to turn her back on Zenn when she does not know how he really feels and how much of his actions were due to the mind control of the Thinkers.

Overall, I think that I need to wait for the next novel before I decided which guy I like better. What did you think—Jag or Zenn?

Have an Opinion on This Love Triangle? Link Up Below!
*Please link back to abouttoread.com in your post

Possession

Author: Elana Johnson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Release Date: June 7, 2011

Source: PulseIt

Goodreads Description:

"Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even thinkabout kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play."

***

Possession was a fast-paced, exciting dystopian novel. Generally speaking, I am not a fan of dystopian literature, but I loved this book. The main character Violet, is snarky and spunky and had me laughing throughout the entire novel. Violet’s character combined with James’ writing style and the engrossing plot kept the pages of this novel flying.

I can’t really get into the plot without giving away crucial elements of the story, but I was really surprised at several of the developments. My absolute favorite part of this book was the ending—man, what an ending! I don’t think I’ve ever read an ending quite like this one, and it certainly makes readers want to continue with the series.

The only part of Possession that I did not thoroughly enjoy was the romance.  I’m not quite sure I feel the chemistry between Violet and her love interest, but I expect their love and chemistry to further develop in the rest of the series. Overall, this is a fantastic read for dystopian fans and non-fans alike.

Waiting on Wednesday: Wildefire

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. This week I am waiting on Wildefire by Karsten Knight. I saw this on Goodreads about six months ago, and I have been waiting ever since. It's almost here!

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

Author: Karsten Knight

Release Date: July 26, 2011

Goodreads Description:

"Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm."

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Websites/Organizations/Apps

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s top ten list is: Top Ten Bookish Websites/Organizations/Apps, etc. I actually don’t know of 10 different apps, so I’m just going to write about the ones I know about.

1.       Goodreads
2.       Goodreads app for iPhone—it’s awesome! I love the book scan feature. You can scan the barcode of any book and add it to your to read list.
3.       LibraryThing
4.       NetGalley
5.       Pulseit – allows readers to pick one of two books a month to read online
6.       Random Buzzers – Random House’s website for their YA novels
7.       Galley Grab – Simon & Schuster’s version of NetGalley

Teaser Tuesday: Possession by Elana Johnson Part II

Teaser Tuesday is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. I actually finished Possession a few days ago, but I loved this quote and wanted to share it with everyone.

"'There are no good guys, Jag. That’s just it. Good and bad mean nothing'…It’s all about who you choose to believe."

Giveaway:Glimmerglass by Jenna Black Winner

And the Winner is...

Michelle G!

Thank you for participating everyone, and congratulations to Michelle!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Purchased:

  

   

The Emerald Talisman  by Brenda Pandos

Witches of 101: A Witches of East End Primer by Melissa de la Cruz

Undercurrent

Author: Tricia Rayburn

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: July 12, 2011

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Description:

"After losing her sister and finding out who- or what- she really is, Vanessa returns home for her senior year. Everyone at Hawthorne Prep has questions about her tragic summer, but knowing who to open up to is impossible. As she walks the halls without Justine for the very first time, Vanessa has more to worry about than just making a new life for herself.

Because the sirens are out for revenge. To protect herself and the ones she loves, Vanessa must call on powers she believes she has but does not know how to use. To learn, she'll have to seek help from the only person who truly knows her. But first, she must admit the truth about her real identity."

***

I love Tricia Rayburn’s writing—it’s just so engaging. Undercurrent was even better than I thought it would be. The mystery aspect was just as thrilling as Siren, if not more so, and I finished it within 24 hours.

Undercurrent takes place at the beginning of the school year (shortly after where Siren ended). We see Vanessa’s struggle with her changing body now that she is a full siren. Not only does she have to deal with the physical demands of constantly needing saltwater, but she also commands the attention of every male in the room without meaning to. This makes it nearly impossible for Vanessa to have male friends and causes her to constantly second guess why people are talking to her and if anyone boy will ever truly love her for who she is and not because of her powers.

Still reeling after the loss of her sister, Vanessa must find a way to be normal in a school where everyone knows about the tragedy she suffered and boys are falling at her feet. All of this is really a backdrop to Vanessa’s fear now that the lake is melting. The sirens she imprisoned in the frozen lake with Simon should all be dead, but Vanessa could swear she sees them. As Vanessa embarks on her adventure, she tries to answer several questions: is she imaging the sirens or did they somehow survive? What happened to her real mother? Will anyone love her for who she is instead of because her powers?

Accompanying Justine on her quest to find these answers and learning about her emotional struggles keeps the pages of this book flying. This is a fantastic beach read and an excellent series. I can’t wait to see what Tricia Rayburn writes next!

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. This week's question is: "In light of the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer...let's talk about fairies. What is your favorite fairy tale or story that revolves around the fae?” 

My favorite fairy tale is hands-down Cinderella. I'm not really sure why, but I have always loved it.  Ever After (a retelling of Cnderella) is one of my favorite movies. I also really like Cinderella III: A Twist in Time. If you haven't seen yet, go rent it! The stepmother gets a hold of the magic wand, turns back time, and makes Prince Charming forget Cinderella!

Haven

Author: Kristi Cook

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: February 22, 2011

Source: Book Expo America

Goodreads Description:

"One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first."

***

Haven just wasn’t for me. I was actually really excited for it because I thought the description sounded great, but I wasn’t able to connect with the characters and I thought the storyline was unoriginal. I don’t like to write spoiler-ridden reviews, but in order to express why I didn’t like Haven, I will have to delve in the plot quite a bit.

The first 100 pages or so of this book really captivated me. I wanted to know why Aidan was so taken with Violet. I wanted to know if they knew each other in a past life or something because Aidan was clearly drawn to her and even stated that she was part of his past. Things really started to go downhill, though, after we discover that Aidan is a vampire because this is where the book starts to feel like a retelling of Twilight without the witty banter and interesting characters. Violet is wandering down a dark alley in the city late at night. She is approached by a stranger who clearly wishes to harm her. Out of nowhere a man comes racing up to save her—it’s Aidan. How did he know she was in trouble, though? Well, he can read minds. If you haven’t read Twilight, this is almost exactly what happens when Edward saves Bella for the first time. Additionally, Aidan oscillates between adoring Violet and completely ignoring her—another glaring Twilight similarity.

After that scene Violet figures out that Aidan is a vampire and the two are suddenly madly in love. Personally, this bothered me a lot because I never saw the progression from flirting to love. I didn’t feel the love between the characters at all. I felt attraction and lust, but I just don’t believe them when they say they love each other. At this point in the novel, Violet’s friendship with her classmates also begins to “deepen”. Even though Violet was telling us how close she and her friends had become, I didn’t actually see the progression of their relationships. I was told that they were now closer, but there were no heart-felt conversations or situations that would have drawn them closer together. Through the whole novel, I could tell that the characters were supposed to be deep and complex, but maybe because I couldn’t feel the emotions shining through, I did not believe that they were very complex at all—it just felt forced to me.

Then the story incorporates elements from other very well-known plotlines, which made it feel less like a retelling of Twilight, but unoriginal nonetheless. Violet turns out to be a vampire hunter, and even refers to herself as Buffy at one point. I did not really watch “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” when it was on TV, but I felt that this plotline was clearly derived from the show. I was further annoyed by the plot when we find out that Violet looks just like Aidan’s first love from centuries ago because the very same thing happened in The Vampire Diaries.

If you are looking for a book that incorporates aspects of your favorite vampire novels, you will probably really like this book—it got some great reviews on Goodreads. If you are looking for well-developed characters and an original plotline, I would look elsewhere. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Tris & Izzie

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. This week I am waiting on Tris & Izzie by Mette Ivie Harisson. I love fairytales and I love Tristan and Isolde, so I'm really excited for this one!

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Author: Mette Ivie Harisson
Release Date: October 11, 2011

Goodreads Description:

"A modern retelling of the German fairytale "Tristan and Isolde", Tris and Izzie is about a young witch named Izzie who is dating Mark King, the captain of the basketball team and thinks her life is going swimmingly well. Until -- she makes a love potion for her best friend Brangane and then ends up taking it herself accidentally, and falling in love with Tristan, the new guy at school."

Teaser Tuesday: Possession by Elana Johnson

"Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!"

“I hate Mechs—more than I hate Thinkers. More than the idiotic rules. I wished this stuoid tin can would shut up already. And miraculously, it did.” ~ Possession by Elana Johnson

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Blogger/Bookish Person

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. This week’s top ten list is: Top Ten Reasons I Love Being a Blogger/Bookish Person.

I love being a blogger/bookish person because I get to...

1.       Talk about books

2.       Meet new people

3.       “Visit” new and exciting places

4.       Creatively showcase my thoughts and opinions

5.       Share my ideas

6.       Discover new ideas

7.       Gain a fresh perspective on old  ideas

8.       “Meet” many different kinds of characters (sometimes characters feel like real people to me)

9.       Attend book events

10.   Tell authors how much I loved their work

Giveaway: Glimmerglass by Jenna Black (Kindle Edition)

I am participating in the Midsummers  Eve Hop which is hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer. My giveaway is a Kindle edition of Glimmerglass by Jenna Black. After you enter, check out the other giveaways listed on the linky at the bottom of the post. Happy hopping and good luck!


Goodreads Description:

"It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp… 

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble.  When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.  

 Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does.  Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…"

Contest Rules: 

• Open internationally
• Must be 13+ to enter 
• Everyone may enter, even if you are not a follower 
• Extra entries to the contest will be given for:
• Followers 
• Tweeting about the contest and providing a link (clicking the time stamp on the tweet will give you the link)
• Winners will be notified via email 
• A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours 
• Contest ends June 24, 2011

Giveaway: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater Winner Announced

And the Winner is...

Aimee B!

Thank you for participating everyone, and congratulations to Aimee!

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Purchased:

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

From PulseIt:

Possession by Elana Johnson

Replaced Under Warranty:

B&N Nook

Love Triangles: Illusions by Aprilynne Pike

In Illusions we have three triangles because one just simply isn’t enough. I never approve of extra-triangles for the sake of complicating a plot, but I think the multiple layers of romantic entanglement added an interesting dimension to this book (which I loved).

David-Laurel-Tamani

I have felt the exact same way about this love triangle since I read Wings, the first book in this series. Laurel should 100% be with Tamani! Tamani and Laurel have amazing chemistry, they were very close before Laurel became the scion (even though she doesn’t remember), he loves her with all his heart, and they’re the same species!

As Tamani pointed out to David, Laurel and David will never be able to have children, Laurel will look like she is 40 when David is 80 (providing he lives that long), and they just don’t have any passion. What Laurel and David have is sweet, but it’s just not the same irresistible attraction that she has with Tamani.

If Laurel and Tamani were dating, I don’t think Laurel would let David kiss her because she knows it is wrong. However, Laurel doesn’t really seem to be able to say “no” to Tamani very well. Sure, she stops his advances often enough—but it takes every ounce of her will power, and even then sometimes she succumbs to his charms anyway.

Chelsea-David-Laurel

I have also feel the same way about this love triangle as I did when I read Wings. Chelsea and David would be an adorable couple. They have so much in common, they’ve been friends forever, and they’re competitive with each other in a light-hearted, adorable way. This is a classic girl-next-door romance waiting to happen, if David would stop being blinded by Laurel’s dazzling beauty.

As far as why I don’t think David and Laurel are compatible, please refer to the previous section.

Laurel-Tamani-Yuki

I think my opinion on this love triangle is fairly obvious from the first section of my post. Tamani should be with Laurel. Does Yuki have things to offer? Sure. Do I think she should date Tamani? No. Tamani’s love for Laurel is so pure that he could never fully be with anyone else. Additionally, Yuki has a sketchy past that we haven’t figured out yet and I don’t trust her. Until we know more of her back story, I’m not even sure I like her.

Have an Opinion on this Love Triangle? Link Up Below!
*Please link back to abouttoread.com in your post

Illusions

Author: Aprilynne Pike

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: May 3, 2011

Source: Purchased

Goodreads Description:

"Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail."


At the end of Spells, Laurel told Tamani that she didn’t want to see him again and officially decided to date David. Illusions begins one year after the end of Spells, on Laurel’s first day of the new school year. Given the end of Spells, you can imagine Laurel’s surprise (and the reader’s) when Tamani comes strolling through the front door as an exchange student!

Tamani is on a mission, and as always he must keep Laurel safe in the process. As a result, he enrolls at her school and follows her around constantly—much to Laurel and David’s dismay. The chemistry between Laurel and Tamani is the best part of this book by far! Figuring out the mysteries behind Tamani’s mission also adds a lot to this book because I love trying to figure out what happens, but we weren’t given too many clues until the end.

The ending of Illusions was fantastic! I can’t believe I have to wait an entire year for the next book to come out after that cliffhanger. The only disappointing part of the book was that we really didn’t get to see very much of Avalon (the faerie realm). Even though I was really hoping to see more of Avalon, Illusions was still amazing because Tamani’s constant presence in the novel more than made up for it. This book is steaming with romance, intrigue, mystery, and love triangles—definitely not one to be missed.

2011 YA Mythology Challenge: My List

I am making a post to officially join my YA Mythology Challenge. If you would like to sign up, please fill out the form at the bottom of the sign-up post. 

• The challenge will run from June 12, 2011 – December 31, 2011.
• There are 3 different levels:
• Half-blood: Read 5 books that incorporate mythology
• Minor god: Read 10 books that incorporate mythology
• Olympian: Read 15+ books that incorporate mythology
• You can join anytime by filling out the form below 
• If you are a blogger, you must write a sign-up post that links back to this challenge page (Feel free to use the image above as a button). 
• If you are not a blogger, just leave a link to your account on Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook, LibrayThing, etc.

I will be participating at the Olympian level. Here is my list so far:

Sirenz by Charlotte Bennardo and Natalie Zaman 

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Wildefire by Karsten Knight

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Starcrossed by Joesephine Angelini

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Destined by Jesse Harrell

Arcadia Awakens by Kai Meyer

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

Half-blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Undercurrent by Tricia Rayburn

Fury by Elizabeth Miles
Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Every Last Kiss by Courtney Cole

Book Blogger Hop

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books. This week's question is: “How many books are currently in your To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile?”

My first thought when I saw this question was “Oh God” because there are soooo many! There are 98 physical books sitting in my room (pictured above) and 113 on my Goodreads list. There are also books that I have made a mental note to read, but haven’t added to my Goodreads list or purchased yet. I think my “true” number is probably close to 125. I wish I was a faster reader!

Follow Friday

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee. This week's question is: "Genre Wars! What's your favorite genre and which book in that genre made it your favorite?”

Hmm, well the easy answer to this is of course YA. However, that is really broad, so I am going to narrow it down to YA Paranormal Romance. I love magic, romance, love triangles, and time travel so the genre pretty much has everything I could want.

I recently found out that Paranormal Romance has its roots in Gothic literature. Now that I know this, it makes even more sense that this is my favorite genre because I love Gothic literature—especially Wuthering Heights.

I don't think there is a specific book that made it my favorite genre, but If you’re looking for a YA Paranormal Romance, some good ones are:

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Twilight by Stephanie Myer

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Fallen by Lauren Kate

You can also check my list of upcoming books that I’m looking forward to or my must read list for more recommendations.

Once Upon a Read-a-thon 2011

Lately, I have been reading at a much slower pace than usual—only one book a week! I used to read one book every three days, so I’m really not happy about that. In an effort to step-up my reading pace, I am joining the 2011 Once Upon a Read-a-thon (hosted by  Angela at Reading Angel, Lori at Pure Imagination, and Candace at Candace's Book Blog). Here’s how it works:

“What is a Readathon?


A Readathon is where you set a goal for yourself to read more books that is beyond your average number of books you read. There is no minimum, it's all up to you! Push yourself to get some of those books read that have been sitting on your shelves for awhile!  You can read any type of book you choose!”

Even though I’ve been in a bit of a reading rut, I am doing this challenge based on my average of one book every three days. For the read-a-thon, I am going to try to read 3 books in three days. Wish me luck!