What's Next?

What's Next is a meme hosted by Iceybooks to helps us(bloggers) Ask our followers what we should read next because let's face it, we all have trouble choosing which books to read next. If you want to find out more about this meme click here.  This week I have a few that have been sitting on myself a while, but I haven't had time to read them and now that I have time I am not sure which one to read first. Please leave comments on your thoughts on these books and which one I should read next.




                                                    

                                          Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Summary:

Amy is a cryogenically frozen passenger aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed. She expects to awaken on a new planet, 300 years in the future. But fifty years before Godspeed's scheduled landing, Amy's cryo chamber is unplugged, and she is nearly killed.

Now, Amy is caught inside an enclosed world where nothing makes sense. Godspeed's passengers have forfeited all control to Eldest, a tyrannical and frightening leader, and Elder, his rebellious and brilliant teenage heir.

Amy desperately wants to trust Elder. But should she? All she knows is that she must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets before whoever woke her tries to kill again.

Perception by Kim Harrington
             (Clarity#2)

Summary:

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

                                                           

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Summary:

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

Have you read any of these books? Which one should I read next? Please leave me a comment on your opinions to these books and cast your vote :) 

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

The Raven Boys

Author: Maggie Stiefavter
Series: Raven Cycle
Pages: 408
Publisher: Scholastic
Release Date:September 18th,2012

Summary:
It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Review:

You guys I am so caught on how to start this review. While I did like some aspects there where some parts I just didn’t. While I loved Maggie’s Mercy fall series so I really wanted to like this one really disappointed.

In this book it was just so confusing. I know some people are going to read this review and disagree, but honestly, just at some points I had no clue what was going on. When the Chapters switched back in forth sometimes with no dialogue just description of what they were thinking, it got confusing and then when I realized who it was I had to re-read that part. So it got to be really annoying. Also, blue’s mom and aunt really confused me and I kept getting mixed up when they were talking sometimes.

I really hate having to write this review because of how much I loved Maggie’s writing before. :(

Now while that was what I didn’t really like about it, what I did like was the boys—Adam, Ronan, and Gansey. The only one who really annoyed me sometimes was Adam. I know that I felt really bad for him with the whole dad situation he became really aggravating wanting to get out, but not wanting to accept the help his friend wanted to give him. However, I did like Ronan. Hehe. Ronan is the typical bad boy disguised in a BMW. He and his brother often have conflicts and I like how he grows and really finds some independency to himself in the end.

Overall, I did really like the story. There were some twist and turns and I didn’t really expect them, but the characters and point of view just didn’t work out as well as I’d hoped.

      While I am disappointed, I still want to try and give this series another try. Seeing as how I did like the story line, hopefully in the next book the characters will get better and I can follow along better next time. So I can’t wait, I’ll be looking forward to the Raven Cycle #2.

Future Awesomeness #2

Hey guys,
I have been looking for a name to call my new feature-- this new feature will be posted on the blog every 2 weeks  or a every month if I'm busy. Pretty much this feature is going to be books that are being publish that I think I will absolutly love and will look at reading as soon as the come out :)! If anybody has a better title please let me know because I am fresh out of ideas lol.


Blaze  by Laurie Boyle Crompton 
              February 1st,2013  

Summary:

Blaze is tired of spending her life on the sidelines, drawing comics and feeling invisible. She's desperate for soccer star Mark to notice her. And when her BFF texts Mark a photo of Blaze in sexy lingerie, it definitely gets his attention. After a hot date in the back of her minivan, Blaze is flying high, but suddenly Mark's feelings seem to have been blasted by a freeze-ray gun, and he dumps her. Blaze gets her revenge by posting a comic strip featuring uber-villain Mark the Shark. Mark then retaliates by posting her "sext" photo, and, overnight, Blaze goes from Super Virgin Girl to Super Slut. That life on the sidelines is looking pretty good right about now..

  Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally
                   March 13,2013

Summary:

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. Kate has always been the good girl. Too good, according to some people at school—although they have no idea the guilty secret she carries. But this summer, everything is different… This summer she’s a counselor at Cumberland Creek summer camp, and she wants to put the past behind her. This summer Matt is back as a counselor too. He’s the first guy she ever kissed, and he’s gone from a geeky songwriter who loved The Hardy Boys to a buff lifeguard who loves to flirt…with her. Kate used to think the world was black and white, right and wrong. Turns out, life isn’t that easy…

                           Spirit (The Elemental Series)

                             by Brigid Kemmerer

Summary:

With power comes enemies. Lots of them. Hunter Garrity just wants to be left alone. He’s learned the hard way that his unusual abilities come at a price. And he can’t seem to afford any allies. He’s up to his neck in hostiles. His grandfather, spoiling for a fight. The Merrick brothers, who think he ratted them out. Calla, the scheming psycho who wants to use him as bait. Then there’s Kate Sullivan, the new girl at school. She’s not hostile. She’s bold. Funny. Hot. But she’s got an agenda, too. With supposedly secret powers rippling to the surface everywhere around him, Hunter knows something ugly is about to go down. But finding out what means he’ll have to find someone he can trust…

      Uses for Boys by Erica L. Scheidr
                            Jan. 15,2013

Summary:

Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know. Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer.

                                                                 Dear Life, You Suck by Scott Blagden

                         March 26th,2013

Summary:

“The shrinkadinks think I have a screw loose. Ain’t playing with a full deck. Whacked-out wiring. Missing marbles.” Irreverent, foulmouthed seventeen-year-old Cricket is the oldest ward in a Catholic boys’ home in Maine—and his life sucks. With prospects for the future that range from professional fighter to professional drug dealer, he seems doomed to a life of “criminal rapscallinity.” In fact, things look so bleak that Cricket can’t help but wonder if his best option is one final cliff dive into the great unknown. But then Wynona Bidaban steps into his world, and Cricket slowly realizes that maybe, just maybe, life doesn’t totally suck.

Well, what do you think of these? Will you be reading these in 2013? Have you gotten an arc and read it already? What did you think about them if you did?

Review: Venom by Fiona Paul

Venom

Author: Fiona Paul
Series: The Secret of The Eternal Rose
Pages: 432
Publisher: Philomel
Release Date: October 30th,2012

Summary:

Cassandra Caravello is one of Renaissance Venice’s lucky elite: with elegant gowns, sparkling jewels, her own lady’s maid, and a wealthy fiancé, she has everything a girl could desire. Yet ever since her parents’ death, Cassandra has felt trapped, alone in a city of water, where the dark and labyrinthine canals whisper of escape.

When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman—practically in her own backyard—she’s drawn into a dangerous world of courtesans, killers, and secret societies. Soon, she finds herself falling for Falco, a mysterious artist with a mischievous grin... and a spectacular skill for trouble. Can Cassandra find the murderer, before he finds her? And will she stay true to her fiancé, or succumb to her uncontrollable feelings for Falco?

Beauty, love, romance, and mystery weave together in a stunning novel that’s as seductive and surprising as the city of Venice itself

Review:

Words guys cannot describe this book, but I will try. This is the awesomeness given to me to read by Fiona Paul. May I just say well done!

Cassandra is might I say a well written character, she is rich, beautiful, but there is still something missing in her life. I am totally jealous of her. Honestly, I wish I was living her life. One the scene is another gorgeous exotic scene and beautiful at that. Cassandra is a little mysterious thing and throughout this book I was routing for her and for one guy in particular.

Yes, it’s no surprise I was\am totally team Falco. I mean come on, Falco is well not exactly rich, but at least he puts heart into what he does. He doesn’t care what people think and I really like that about him, which gives him the courage to do whatever he wants.

When Cassandra and Falco start their sleuthing it was just so cute to watch them team up and laugh, have some jokes and then run when it was time to coward up. I am not going to lie this book had some twist in it. Seriously dead bodies, seriously? It was fun to watch them avoid all these things just too solve this mystery. This to me came off as a mix of Nancy Drew and Scooby-Doo. Yes, Scooby- Doo minus the dog and well, the gang, but besides that yes: D.

In the end this book was entertaining and satisfied the tension and suspense. In the end it ends like every series book does seriously? Why must you do this to me?! Yes I know I have said seriously 50 million times in this review. I can’t wait for the next book to come out and get my hands on it.

This was truly a masterpiece, and if you enjoy foreign scenes, definitely checks this one out because it is really something to look forward to. It keeps you in suspense and let me tell you, you never know what twist Ms. Paul is going to throw at you. So always look for clues and if you do you’ll be rewarded with a Scooby-snack – the answer. (Yes, that was my lame joke of this review :P)

Review: Meant to Be Lauren Morrill

Meant To Be
Author: Lauren Morrill
Series:Standalone
Pages:304
Publisher: Delacorte Books
Release Date: November 13th,2012

Summary:

Meant to be or not meant to be . . . that is the question.

It's one thing to fall head over heels into a puddle of hazelnut coffee, and quite another to fall for the—gasp—wrong guy. Straight-A junior Julia may be accident prone, but she's queen of following rules and being prepared. That's why she keeps a pencil sharpener in her purse and a pocket Shakespeare in her, well, pocket. And that's also why she's chosen Mark Bixford, her childhood crush, as her MTB ("meant to be").

But this spring break, Julia's rules are about to get defenestrated (SAT word: to be thrown from a window) when she's partnered with her personal nemesis, class-clown Jason, on a school trip to London. After one wild party, Julia starts receiving romantic texts . . . from an unknown number! Jason promises to help discover the identity of her mysterious new suitor if she agrees to break a few rules along the way. And thus begins a wild goose chase through London, leading Julia closer and closer to the biggest surprise of all: true love.

Review:

Hype has been very high for this book and even before the hype I wanted to read this one. It sounded so cute, fun and adventurous. Boy was it :D

Maybe it’s the setting that did it for me – it was beautiful and something about Paris and England or even Italy ignites a spark of excitement when I find out that a book takes place in one of these places.

Julia is a bubbly, smart and love able character who always follows the rules and I really related to her because that is how I am. You never find me without a book and that’s how Julia is normally also. Then, she goes on a beautiful trip to London with the most obnoxious boy of them all – Jason. It felt so awesome to watch Julia break out of her shell and have fun for once.  It was breathe taking watching her and Jason connect the way they did. It really brought a smile to my face every time he made fun of her in a playful way. It was also really cute when he got all protective of her over Mark.

Mark, ugh, okay so we are all led up to believe he is this perfect guy and then we met him and it’s like Ugh. Seriously? He is nothing like Julia describes him and he’s a total jerk. Those five years made a tremendous difference on how he was today. I love how Jason really develops feelings for her and tries to warn her and look out for him. Also, it’s kind of funny how he just shows up out of no where’s like seriously? Yeah, he’s so normal.

There is some major character development in this story and the climax, while not that exciting and a little predictable, is still enjoyable. This is an overall awesome book – it has everything a contemporary needs, -- exotic setting, love triangle, flirtiness, arguing, and irony.

I promise you it will make you laugh and smile as Julia comes to terms what we know and hope will happen all along.