The Fault In Our Stars movie

Did you see the trailer yet? I can't wait to see the movie, this trailer looks very promissing. 

El

Review: The Holders (Holders #1) by Julianna Scott

Synopsis
17 year-old Becca spent her whole life protecting her brother from, well, everything. The abandonment of their father, the so called 'experts' who insist that voices in his head are unnatural and must be dealt with, and the constant threat of being taken away to some hospital and studied like an animal. When two representatives appear claiming to have the answers to Ryland's perceived problem, Becca doesn't buy it for one second; That is until they seem to know things about Ryland and about Becca and Ryland's family, that forces Becca to concede that there may be more to these people than meets the eye. Thought still highly skeptical, Becca agrees to do what's best for Ryland. 

What they find at St. Brigid's is a world beyond their imaginatiion. Little by little they piece together the information of their family's heritage, their estranged Father, and the legend of the Holder race that decrees Ryland is the one they've been waiting for. However, they are al - especially Becca - in for a surprise that will change what they thought they knew about themselves and their kind. 

She meets Alex, a Holder who is fiercely loyal to their race, and for some reason, Becca and Ryland. There's an attraction between Becca and Alex that can't be denied, but her true nature seems destined to keep them apart. However, certain destinies may not be as clear cut as everyone has always believed them to be. 

Becca is lots, but found at the same time. Can she bring herself to leave Ryland now that he's settled and can clearly see his future? Will she be able to put the feelings she has for Alex aside and head back to  the US? And can Becca and Ryland ever forgive their father for what he's done? 

- Goodreads -

Opinion 

When I started to read The Holders I would have never guessed that I would love it so much. This book blew me away, I couldn’t put it down.

Rebecca is the main protagonist in this book, we first get to meet her when she’s protecting her little brother when again people are trying to take him away because he hears voices inside of his head. But Becca believes that there is nothing wrong with Ryland at least not in the way psychiatrists think. So she does everything to protect the best she can. And from that very moment I liked her. She thinks first of others before she thinks of herself, she’s one of the most selfless people that I’ve ever met. At the same time she’s strong, smart, sassy and she doesn’t mind getting into trouble if that means she can help the ones she loves.
And then we got Alex, just like with Becca I liked him from the first moment got to meet him. He knows that trust can’t be given but has to be earned. And he does everything to earn Becca’s trust so that she will believe that he only wants the best for her little brother and for herself. He’s a very sweet person and if it’s possible even more selfless than Becca.

When Becca and Ryland arrive at the school in Ireland (bonus point ‘cause it’s not set in America :)) they get thrown into a whole new world, the world of the Holders. And their arrival is more important than anyone could ever have imagined. Some events that happened in this book were rather predictable, but the way the book worked up to the revelation of these events was great. And in the end there were a lot of things that I never saw coming, my mouth literally dropped open a few times.

I can’t describe well enough how much I loved this book, it had been quiet a long time since I read such a great Young Adult paranormal book. And I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Extra

Title: The Holders 

Author: Julianna Scott

Series: Holders 

Publisher: Strange Chemistry 

Publication date: March 5th 2013

Pages: 320 (paperback) 

Other books: 

• The Seers (Holders #2)  (expected publication: February 4th 2014)

El

Waiting on Wednesday #36: Song of the Fireflies by J.A. Redmerski

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

Song of the Fireflies 

by J.A. Redmerski

Since they were kids, Elias Kline and Brayelle Bates have been iseparable. When Bray moves to South Carolina, seperating the two for the first time, they both at last realize their innocent childhood friendship has developed into something much more. So when Bray finally returns to Georgia - and to Elias - things between them couldn't be more perfect... until one fateful night changes everything. 

Desperate not to go to prison for a terrible accident, Elias and Bray decide to run. As they try to make the most of their freedom, the two find themselves relying on a rebellious group of people who tempt the duo into a wild and daring new life. But they can't run from their troubles forever. 

As the consequences of their past catch up to them, the couple must finally face reality. Even if they can make it through the unimaginable, Elias knows the truth about Bray's painful history, and in the end he may not be able to save Bray from herself. 

- Goodreads -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why I can't wait: I've read the Edge of Never by Redmerski and I loved that book. And this one sounds even more powerful. So that's why I can't wait to read it. 

Publication date: February 4th 2014

What are you waiting for this week? 

El 

Top Ten Tuesday #19

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Broke and Bookish. This weeks is:

Top Ten Worlds I'd never want to live in: 

          

Let me know what you think.

El

Stacking The Shelves #26

Showcase Sunday's/Stacking the Shelves aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. This Sunday meme is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and Tynga's Reviews:

Netgalley: 

 

Believe (True Believers #3) by Erin McCarthy

Lingering Echoes by Erica Kiefer

What did you add to your shelves this week? 

El

Review: Sun Poisoned (The Sunshine Series #2) by Nikki Rae

Synopsis
Sophie's life has changed. She's moved to New York, she's playing music for new people, and she's making new friends. Then there's Myles, and the fact that he is now her boyfriend - and everyone knows it. 

She's not exactly normal, living in a half-human, half-vampire world, but she's finally, truly happy. However, some parts of Sophie and Myles' old lives still hide in the dark, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. 

Sophie's having nightmares again, but they aren't about her; Myles is hiding something as well, something Sophie isn't sure she wants to know. 

And one lie will change everything. 

No matter how hard she tries to cover up the marks her monsters have left behind, they never truly go away, and Myles' monsters are no different. 

Once again, Sophie's caught between life and death, but this time, only she can save herself. 

- Goodreads -

Opinion

Sun Poisoned is the second book in the Sunshine series and follows the life of Sophie, Myles and their friends. Sophie has moved to New York together with her best friends Boo and Trei and her boyfriend Myles to pursue a music career. For the first time in her life Sophie is finally happy.

The plot is more deep then the first book. Myles’ vampire world collides with Sophie’s human life and she struggles to keep them apart. And the more they learn to trust each other and the more they become comfortable with one another how harder it becomes to keep both worlds separated. Both of them face, literally, their own demons. But Myles and Sophie were there for each other when needed and sure they made some mistakes but mostly it was because they wanted to protect the other. Sophie is a strong girl and is determined to not let anything or anyone control her life again. And while she’s struggling herself she’s still there for Myles and her brother when they need her. Myles was great too, he’s there for Sophie at all times even when she thinks that she doesn’t need him. But I think he underestimated her at times, she was capable of a lot more than he originally thought. But can we blame him for withholding certain things from her, he only wanted to protect her from her and his own demons. The secondary characters were great too, Boo and Trei were there usual selves. And we got to know some new characters like Evan and Ava. The only one I missed in this book were Alex and Adrienne, and I’m wondering what they were up to the entire book.

Sun Poisoned was quite dark and touches on a lot of deep emotions. At a certain point I even felt like crying. And Sophie had to make so many though choices, I would never want to be in her place. But don’t worry there were plenty of sweet and funny moments too. I would recommend this book to anyone who’s looking for a good paranormal read.  

Extra

Title: Sun Poisoned

Author: Nikki Rae

Series: The Sunshine Series 

Publication date: June 28th 2013

Other titles: 

• Sunshine (The Sunshine Series #1)

El

Review: Dead Beautiful (Dead Beautiful #1) by Yvonne Woon

Synopsis
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. 

- Goodreads -


Opinion

I had no idea what to expect when I started to read Dead Beautiful. The synopsis was pretty vague so I didn’t have a clue what this book was about. In the end I was surprised to find out what Dante’s secret was.

The book started rather slowly and I was a bit afraid that I wasn’t going to like it. But after a couple of chapters the pace picked up a bit and the story became really interesting. I loved seeing Gottfried Academy and all that happened there through Renée’s eyes. It was like I myself was discovering all the secrets of Gottfried Academy. All the events and the characters managed to absorb my attention throughout the entire book. 

The romance between Renée and Dante was sweet. Sure they were attracted to one another from the first moment they met for some weird reason. But before they jumped right into a relationship they got to know each other first. And it took them a while to give into their feelings.

But the best part of the book was the plot. You knew that something odd was going on at the academy but you hadn’t a clue what exactly. And bit by bit all the secrets began to unravel and all the mysteries became clear. So the tension kept building up till the end of the book, you could feel that something was about to happen you just didn’t know what exactly. At the end all lose bits of the story nicely came together.

I really liked this book, the only reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because of its slow start. But I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves reading paranormal young adult books. I can’t wait to read the rest of the books in this series. 

Extra

Title: Dead Beautiful
Author: Yvonne Woon 

Series: Dead Beautiful 

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication date: September 21st 2010

Pages: 464 (hardcover) 

Other books: 

• Life Eternal (Dead Beautiful #2)
• Love Reborn (Dead Beautiful #3)

El 

Book Blast: Final Life by Rose Garcia

Synopsis
Nothing sucks more than being forced to move cross country during senior year. And Dominique Wells doesn't think things can get any worse until she's invited to a quirky neighbor's party. When pressured into playing a magical card game, Dominique's world goes from sucky to terrifying. She begins having visions of a red desert and an evil presence--a presence who hints at past lives and promises to kill her.
Plagued by fear and suspicion, and unaware of a family secret kept hidden from her, Dominique is determined to live. Together with a mysterious and gorgeous guy who's moved in while his parents are away, and a hot, popular guy from school, Dominique must seek clues to her past if she's to survive. That, and keep her emotions in check for the two guys she suddenly can't stop thinking about because if she doesn't, she'll be dead. For real.

Praise for Final Life 

"Rose Garcia will explode your mind with action packed scenes and emotional turmoil.” - Moonlight Book Reviews

"The whole transhuman concept had the whole Sci-Fi/Fantasy element going on, yet Rose Garcia has written it in a way that is both fresh and believable, with the classic good versus evil theme incorporated." - Always YA at Heart

"Final Life is filled with magical moments, heart aching moments, action, and suspense. I look forward to the next chapter of Dominique's story." - WinterHaven Books

Sneak peak

“Dominique, please. Hear us out,” Dad said.

            “No! You hear ME out! You brought me to this stupid city, and I hate it here! Everything about this place sucks, and now, because of you, I’m crazy!” Tear trickled down my face, and I wiped them away fast. “Okay? Fucking crazy! And it’s all your fault!”

            Instantly I bit my lip because I regretted my words, but they were out already. Besides, they needed to know how pissed I was.

            Dad paced the room. “You have every right to be upset, Dominique. We never meant for any of this to happen.”

            I didn’t even notice Farrell at my side until he took my hand.  “Dominique, I told you. You’re not crazy.”

            My head began to swoon. My knees buckled. Every time I was near Farrell, a funny feeling came over me. Sometimes it was a subtle dizziness, other times a tingle throughout my body, but always the feeling warmed me. Calmed me. And seemed so natural and familiar.         

“What are you doing to me?” I whispered.

Book trailer 

Available on  Amazon † Barnes & Noble

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the author

Rose Garcia is a lawyer turned writer who's always been fascinated by science fiction and fantasy. From a very young age, she often had her nose buried in books about other-worlds, fantastical creatures, and life and death situations. More recently she's been intrigued by a blend of science fiction and reality, and the idea that some supernatural events are, indeed, very real. Fueled by her imagination, she created The Transhuman Chronicles - a series of books about people who have overcom human limitations. 

Ros lives in Houston with her husband and two kids. You can visit Rose at www.rosegarciabooks.com

El

Waiting on Wednesday #35: Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

Side Effects May Vary 

by Julie Murphy

What if you'd been living your life as you were dying - only to find out that you had your whole future ahead of you?

When sixteen-year-old Alice is diagnosed with leukemia, her prognosis is grim. To maximize the time she does have, she vows to spend her final months righting her wrongs - however she sees fit. She convinces her friend Harvey, whom she knows has always had feelings for her, to help her with a crazy bucket list that's as much about revenge (humiliating her ex-boyfriend and getting back at her arch nemesis) as it is about hope (doing something unexpectedly kind for a stranger and reliving some childhood memories). But just when Alice's scores are settled, she goes into remission. 

Now Alice is forced to face the consequences of all that she's said and done, as well as her true feelings for Harvey. But has she done irreparable damage to the people around her, and to the one person who matters most? 

- Goodreads -

Publication date: March 18th 2014

El

Teaser Tuesday #17: The Holders (Holders #1) by Julianna Scott

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

- Grab your current read- Open to a random page

- Share "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

The Holders 

by Julianna Scott

"He might have just been playing me, what with the whole "Ryland will be safer this way" thing, but I had to admit, I was buying it. It did make sense to want to check and make sure Ryland wasn't harboring any secret abilities or random tricks, especially considering some ancient prophecy had been telling people for hundreds of years that he was." (p.154)

El 

Cover Reveal: Sacrifice (Daughters of Lilith book 3) by Jennifer Quintenz

 

 For fans of Braedyn Murphy, the wait is almost over. “Sacrifice,” the third book in the Daughters of Lilith series, will be released on January 31, 2014. "Sacrifice" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 3).

Synopsis 
Just when Braedyn Murphy thought she understood the danger descending on Puerto Escondido, a new threat arrives. A cult devoted to Lilith has taken up residence in the little town, and when Cassie gets tangled up its intrigue, Braedyn realizes she might have to chose between protecting her friends and stopping Lilith from reclaiming this earth. With her duties to the Guard wearing on her, Braedyn turns to Lucas for solace. Together they wonder if now is the time to claim their one night together—knowing that one night is all they may ever have. Darker forces have their own plans for Braedyn and the Guard. Braedyn knew this fight could be brutal—but how much can one girl be asked to sacrifice in order to save the world? 

Check out the previous books in the series: 
  Praise for "Thrall" (Daughters of Lilith: Book 1) 

•  "Before you even start this review, put down anything you are doing and go read Thrall. It's AMAZING! BREATHTAKING! Engaging and smart, Thrall leaves you speechless!" - Savannah, Books With Bite 
•  "The writing style is so smooth, yet gripping. Add some good characters, well-paced story and you have something that I like. No, not like. Love... No surprise that “Thrall” gets full five stars and the highest recommendations I can give." - Linda, The Fantasy Librarian 
•  "How do I even begin to put all the crazy, gushy, ramblings in my brain about this book onto paper?!? Where to even begin?....This book is a MUST read!" - Hooked In A Book review on Amazon 

 Praise for “Incubus” (Daughters of Lilith: Book 2) 

•  "If you like gutsy fantasy of the urban variety this should definitely be on your 'must read' list. Don't let the YA label put you off either, like all the best YA fiction, this can be enjoyed by adults as well. I give it an unreserved 5 stars." - Tahlia, Awesome Indies, Tahlia, Awesome Indies
•  "This is one of those books that I have been looking forward to since June of last year... I loved this book and I'm so happy I finally got to read it. I recommend the entire series for the fully developed characters, the impressive mythology, and the fight scenes. I am dreading waiting for the next book." - David, David-Reviews.com 
•  "Great reading. LOVE IT. Jennifer Quintenz is a special writer who can be very riveting... Spent several sleepless nights in a crazy rush to see how it ends. Can't wait for the next books." - Terri, review on Amazon 

About the author: 
Jennifer Quintenz is an award-winning film and television writer, author, and graphic novelist. She has written for Twentieth Television, Intrepid Pictures, and Archaia Studios Press. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son. 
JenniferQuintenz.com 
Jenn on Facebook 
Jenn on Twitter 
Jenn on Goodreads

El 

Stacking The Shelves #25

Showcase Sunday's/Stacking the Shelves aim is to showcase our newest books or book related swag and to see what everyone else received for review, borrowed from libraries, bought in bookshops and downloaded onto eReaders this week. This Sunday meme is hosted by Books, Biscuits and Tea and Tynga's Reviews:

For review: 

 

The Headhunters Race (Headhunters #1) by Kimberly Afe 

Peaceful Genocide by J.A. Reynolds (tour stop March 7th)

Thrall (Daughters of Lilith #1) by Jennifer Quintenz

Thank you Jennifer, Kimberly, Xpresso reads and IFB Blog tours for thes books. 

What did you get this week? 

El

Review: Out of Tune by Michelle D. Argyle

Synopsis
Twenty-year-old Maggie Road's parents are legendary in the country music world. She wants nothing more than follow in their footsteps, but the limelight isn't reserved for singers who can't carry a tune, let alone keep a rhythm. 

When her parents tell her they're getting divorced, Maggie decides it's time to leave home and take her future into her own hands. Moving with Cole, her best friend and sometimes boyfriend, might not be the best of ideas, but she's got to start somewhere. Their off-and-on romance gets even more complicated when Maggie crushes on her new voice teacher, Nathan, who unlocks her stunning potential. A sensational music career of her own is finally within reach, but Maggie might need more than perfect pitch to find what she's really looking for. 

- Goodreads -

Opinion

I really liked this book. These days most in most new adult books I read sex seems the central of the book, like it is obliged to put it in their ‘cause otherwise it won’t be a new adult book. But that was not the case with Out of Tune at that’s part of why I liked this book so much. Maggie still tries to figure out who she is and what she wants, so you can believe me when I say that there is still plenty of love, drama, heartache and self-discovery in this book.

This book held some great messages, believe in yourself and in your dreams no matter what your friends, family or others may say. All Maggie wanted all her life was to sing just like her parents but there is only one problem, she can’t sing. At least what everyone around her says. But Maggie doesn’t give up hope that one day she can sing. The only person who supports her in this is her ex-boyfriend and good friend Cole. But Cole is holding back on Maggie because of his past, afraid that Maggie will never look the same at him if his secrets come out. So instead he pushes her in the direction of Nathan, Maggie’s vocal teacher.

During the book most characters realize that they have made mistakes, mostly to protect the other. And they try to make up for it. So there are many ups and downs in this book what only made it more realistic. I also liked how Michelle explained the music business, she really went into details about that part of the story. The way the book was great too, Maggie and her friends still have to sort some things out but you can clearly see in which direction they are heading. So Out of Tune is definitely one of the best music books that I’ve read so far. 

Extra

Title: Out of Tune

Author: Michelle D. Argyle

Genre: Contemporary, YA, NA

Publisher: MDA Books

Publication date: December 3rd 2013

Pages: 376 (paperback)

El

Waiting on Wednesday #34: Pointe by Brandy Colbert

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It spotlights books that have not yet been released, but ones that you should pre-order today! This week's book that I am anxiously awaiting is:

Theo is better now.

She's eating again, dating guys who are almost appropriate, and well on her way to becoming an elite ballet dancer. But when her oldest friend, Donovan, returns home after spending four long years with his kidnapper, Theo starts reliving memories about his abduction - and his abductor. 

Donovan isn't talking about what happened, and even thoug Theo knows she didn't do anything wrong, telling the truth would put everything she's been living for at risk. But keeping quiet might be worse. 

- Goodreads -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why I can't wait: I am terrible at dancing but have always loved to read books and see movies about it. And ballet is my favorit. Plus this whole abduction story is just intruiging. Can't wait to find out what happened to Donovan. 

Publication date: April 10th 2014

El

Top Ten Tuesday #18

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted over at Broke and Bookish. This weeks is:

Top Ten 2014 debuts I am excited for :

1. 

2.  3.

4. 5. 6. 

7.  8.  9. 10.

El