After by Amy Efaw

Story of a teenage girl, who hides her pregnancy, gives birth and dumps her baby. She's found out by the police, taken to a juvenile detention center while she's awaiting trial.

I wasn't really sure what this book entailed until I started reading it. It was a very serious subject. It was hard to feel sympathy for the character because she was such a recluse, pulling away from everyone because of this "problem" she felt she had. In her mind, it never happened. I was happy to see that the character finally did stand up and take responsiblitity for her actions in the end.

Torment by Lauren Kate (Fallen #2)

Daniel and Luce are together. But there's a war raging. In order to keep her safe, Daniel takes Luce to Shoreline, a school for mortals and Nephilim. Cam and Daniel declare an 18 days truce, during this time many enemies are out to kill Luce, for good. While at Shoreline, Luce starts to question her life and relationship with Daniel. He won't share details and she can't remember them.

This book definitely had it's funny moments (like how Luce and Daniel's story is told and is somewhat of a legend). Dawn and Jasmine are truly funny. Nice to see some of the other angels, Aryanne, Gabbe, Molly (who surprisingly likes Luce's roommate). The ending for me was definitely a surprise!

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily, a mermaid princess, is in love with Brody. He barely knows she's alive. Quince, she despises. He loves to make her life miserable (or so she thinks). One kiss changes all of that. Lily, now bonded to Quince, is desperate to separate so she can bond with her "true love" Brody. Quince is determined to change her mind.

A surprisingly good read. It has beautiful cover art and I honestly was expecting the story to be a bit juvenile. But it was an easy read and very cute. I love the idea of mermaid bonding and all of the fishy references were pretty cute as well. I enjoyed Lily's version of a mermaid, who isn't the more gorgeous creature out there but still attracts Quince because of her flaws.

Unwind by Neal Shusterman (Unwind, #1)

Unwinding. The government has made it legal to "unwind" a child between the ages of 13-18. Basically, a child continues to live but in a divided state. Connor is trying to escape his unwinding and survive until age 18, when he is no longer legal for this process. Along the way Connor saves Lev, a tithe, on his way to unwinding, being brought up to believe that it's his mission in life. Risa, living in a State Home, is being unwound to cut costs.

The book takes the persepctive of Lev, Connor and Risa and follows their story in trying to survive. I must say as of late, I'm not really that into Sci Fi. But this book really hooked me. I read it in a day and a half and just couldn't put it down. This concept is one I've never heard but really interesting. The chapter where Roland goes through his unwinding is a little harder to read because of all the details, but some would say justice had been served. I was really excited to know that there is a sequel to this book!

Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast (House of Night, book four)

Zoey has lost three boyfriends and her friends. Stevie Rae is alive, but has strange red tattoos. Book four picks up after Loren and Prof. Nolan's death. Erik comes back after his full change to teach drama. Aphrodite has visions of Zoey's death and her friends finally find out why she was keeping so many secrets. Add to that Nefereet's plans to unleash a mythical angel, ready to pillage the earth.

Once again, really enjoyed this book. Although Zoey's tattoos spreading at the end of each book is a little redundant.

The Cinderella Deal by Jennifer Crusie

Linc has gotten himself into a big mess. He's desperate to work at Prescott college. In order to make that happen he has to find a finacee. Quickly. Daisy is a free spirit. Linc doesn't understand her but asks her to step in and help him out because she's a great storyteller. Daisy quickly falls in love with Prescott and Linc.

Cute story. Easy read!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Jenna Fox. That's her name. Or at least that's what her parents tell her. Seventeen year old Jenna cannot remember anything. Her life, her friends, her parents. She lives in an out of the way place, does not attend school and is kept under tight control from her parents. She knows she was in an accident but it not allowed to talk about it. The Adoration of Jenna Fox is a glimpse into what life could be like with all the medical advaces that are constantly being made.

I really really enjoyed this book. There were some surprises as to who Jenna really is. But this book totally had me hooked. I just couldn't put it down. Would definitely be an excellent movie.

Blonde With a Wand by Vicki Lewis Thompson

Anica thinks she's found a great guy, until she meets his ex-girlfriend. Things get heated when she confronts him about his "tomcat" like behavior. He pushes too far and she accidently turns him into a cat. From then on Anica loses her magic and has to figure out how to get it back and keep Jasper human.

Cute story! I really enjoyed the second book in this series (which I had previously read). It was nice to finally understand all the little comments from the second book related to Jasper becoming a cat. Looking forward to reading more by this author.

The Fallen 2: Aerie and Reckoning by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Aaron and Camael finally stumble onto Aerie, a peaceful town where the fallen angels and nephilim are hiding away from the powers. While in Aerie, Aaron stumbles upon information about his own father, while trying to battle Verchiel and the Powers. Vilma also joins him in her nephilim form, which comes as a surprise to him. In the second part (Reckoning), Aaron finally meets his father and helps to save the world. Verchiel wants to release hell onto the earth but is finally dealt with and sent back to heaven to seek absolution.

Reckoning was a little more violent and gross for me (too much blood and gore) but I enjoyed the storyline of Lucifer being Aaron's father and not being what the human world has depicted him to be. The idea of hell residing inside Lucifer was an interesting idea.

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher (book one)

I loved, loved, loved this book. It was an interesting concept. It took me a bit to get into it but something just clicked and I couldn't stop reading.

Incareron, supposedly a paradise to the outside world, is bascially a prison and a hell on the inside. Finn knows he wasn't born on the inside and is desperate to get out. He's a starseer and sees into the future. He makes a trek to find a way out along with three of his friends and some help from the outside world. Come to find out there are many twists to this story. The outside world is bound by the "protocol" keeping everything as it was during a particular century.

The one confusing part to me was what time frame this really did take place in since the protocol kept everything at a certain time period. So it seemed like it took place in the future but they pretended it was the past. That part I never really understood. Really looking forward to book two, Sapphique.

Beyond the Grave by Jude Watson (39 Clues, #4)

Book four takes Amy, Dan, Nellie and Saladin to Cairo, Egypt. There they continue on the quest to find the 39 clues, set forth by their grandmother. During this story, Amy realizes that Grace (their grandmother) had been giving them information all their lives, to prepare for this quest.

Enjoyed this book and this author's writing style. Loved that it's a quick easy read and enjoyed the setting of Egypt.

Charlie All Night by Jennifer Crusie

Charlie comes to Tuttle to get to the bottom of an anonomyous letter that has been sent to Bill's radio station. When he gets there, he meets Alice, who is a driven career woman, and now his producer.

Quick, easy romantic read. Really enjoyed it!

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Virgina receives a package in the mail from her aunt who has passed. Inside the package are thirteen blue envelopes, each detailing something she needs to do. With only a backpack and a specific set of rules, Virginia heads off to London to start her quest.

I thought this was a really cute enjoyable read. I loved reading about all the different places she traveled to and things that happened to her along the way.

The Wedding Girl by Madeleine Wickham

Story of a girl who gets married at eighteen to help an American stay in England. Ten years later she's ready to marry the man of her dreams when she realizes she never got divorced.

This was a cute, easy to read story. Some of the language is a little hard if you aren't from London or don't know much of the slang that they used. Glad that it had a happy ending of course.

The Alchemyst by Michael Scott

In this book we are introduced to Nicholas and Pernelle Flamel (of the famed Sorcerer's Stone.....from Harry Potter). They are living as the Flemings, owning a book store and coffee shop in San Fransisco. Their teenage employees (and twins) Josh and Sophie get caught up in Nick's quest to save Pernelle from Dr. Dee and find the codex which Dee has stolen. Nick thinks that the twins are the twins from the Codex, with pure silver and gold auras.

It's an interesting read. I love the references to the Elders (creatures and characters from myth). The story drags a bit here and there but overall a decent read. I would definitely continue reading the series.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Amanda and Leo have always spent their birthdays together. On their tenth birthday, they have a huge fight and don't speak to each other for a year. They get caught up in this weird time loop, where they celebrate their eleventh birthday for many days in a row. Desperate to figure out how to stop it, they make up and work together to try and break the spell.

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schieber

Sounded like a really cute story. Nope. It wasn't. I've read quite a few YA books lately. Most of them had depth, interest, and a great story. Plus they didn't read like YA books. This book had none of that. It was extremely juvenile, definitely had some gaps in the plot line, and apparently it's a series. Not one I'll continue reading that is.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Bethany, Gabriel and Ivy are Angels on a mission. They have come to Venus Cove to stop the Agents of Darkness. While Gabriel and Ivy are able to distance themselves from the humans, Bethany finds it more difficult. She enjoys the human experience as a 17 year old girl and falls in love with a human boy, Xavier. Together they battle Jake, a agent of Lucifer.

I originally chose this book because the cover is beautiful. I still love it. I enjoyed the story as well. It's told very simply. The writing style is simple but easy to read and follow. Bethany is very inexperienced but I enjoyed her innocence. Definitely a book worth reading.

Dark of the Moon by Rachel Hawthorne (Dark Guardians #3)

Brittany goes off by herself for her transformation. No one has claimed her as their mate so she's determined to go it alone. Full moon comes and goes and Brittany is still human. Connor, now free of Lindsey, is who she really wants to be with. But after learning some shocking information, she isn't sure that it's possible. Plus the shifters are still trying to battle a medical company, determined to find them, possess their uniqe abilities and share them with the world.

I've really enjoyed this whole series (and excited there's a fourth book). It's a quick easy read. Plus "shifters" (aka werewolves) are the main focus. All the characters are believable and easy to identify with. Hawthorne has a very easy writing style that makes the story flow smoothly. I really liked Brittany and Connor's story. Different than the other books for sure.

It's Raining Cupcakes by Lisa Schroeder

Cute story of a thirteen year old girl, desperate to see the world. While her parents are trying to open a cupcake shop, she enters a baking contest with a grande prize of traveling to New York City. Cute easy read, with cute chapter titles (all types of cupcakes).

The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer (#3)

New York City. The moon has been hit and knocked out of it's orbit. Tidal waves, tsunami's, destruction, death, and unseasonably cold temperatures. The third installment is from Alex's perspective (who isn't introduced until book two).  Alex is struggling to take care of his two sisters during this now life changing event. His mother and father are gone without a word. His older brother is somewhere with the Marines. Alex is trying to keep his family safe and alive as the world struggles to live with the aftermath of the moon's new orbit.

The first book, Life as We Knew it, was written in journal form from the perspective of Miranda. She's a teenager trying to deal with a new life. This third book takes place at the same time of the first book but from Alex's point of view. When I started this series, it honestly scared me to death. Made me wonder if something like this could really happen? Made me seriously want to start buying extra food at the grocery store each week just in case. I think it was scarier because it is a realistic story. We could live through an apocalyptic event and have to struggle. I would like to think that I'd be as strong as these characters, but I doubt I would.

This third installment is just as interesting (and scary) as the first. I've really enjoyed reading about how these characters somehow keep going through such terrible times.

My first award

So I was awarded this AGES ago. Yes I realize I probably broke the chain, list, or whatever it's called. Just now discovered that I never REALLY did respond to this. So, here goes..........

Awarded to me by Becky (http://escapismthroughbooks.blogspot.com/2010/06/my-very-first-blog-award.html) thank you so much, who has an awesome blog!

Seven Things About Moi:

1. I have twin boys.
2. I love to bake and read (yes I'm a bit obsessed with both).
3. I have a love hate relationship with my job.
4. My brother truly is my best friend.
5. I have a small and zany family (if zany even best describes them).
6. I am totally obsessive compulsive about things.
7. I still sleep with my stuff bunny and not afraid to admit it.

I know I'm supposed to pass this on....but I don't even know of 15 bloggers to pass it on to!

Betrayed by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast (House of Night, book two)

Zoey is now the leader of the Dark Daughters. As the year goes on, she struggles with her feelings for Heath (which have been made more complicated by her imprinting him), Erik (her "boyfriend") and the new poet laureate, Loren. Zoey loses her best friend to the change and while mourning that loss, realizes that Nefreet really isn't as wonderful or trustworthy as she seems.

This is a good continuation of the series. I hate that they "killed" off Stevie Rae, as she was one of my favorite characters. It is tough to see Zoey face this loss while realizing that her new world isn't really what is seems. The new character Loren, seems a little too good to be true and makes me wonder what his real angle is. While the highlight of the book for me continues to be Shaunee and Erin, who call themselves "twins" when in fact they are as opposite in looks as can be.

Looking forward to reading book three.

The Sword Thief by Peter Lerangis (#3)

Dan and Amy travel to Korea with Uncle Alistair and the Kabras. They team up to find the third clue, only to be double crossed by everyone.

The third book was definitely easier to read than the second. I really liked the writing style of the author, which made it a quick read. I'm really enjoying all of these little adventures to different places in the world.

Goddess of the Sea by P.C. Cast

Goddess of the Sea starts out in the modern world, as Christine (CC) gets on a plane to her latest military assignment. Her plane crashes into the ocean and she trades places with a mermaid Princess (Undine). She is put back into a medieval world, where mermaids are considered demons and women are treated as property. In order to escape her brother, she is granted human form on a temporary basis but finds true love in sea as well as some dangers on land.

I loved the cover of this book. I loved the House of Night series also by the same author so I decided to give this one a try. It was a hard book for me to really get into it. I enjoyed Christine's character and how she is a strong woman in times when women had no say. Romance stories are my thing. I'll read just about any of them. I also love the mythical and unexplained. But a mermaid romance just was so hard to really believe and connect with. Don't get me wrong. Love mermaids. They are beautiful and mysterious (unlike the Harry Potter mermaids who are anything but). But this romance just didn't do it for me.

Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner

Story of two friends who lose touch in high school due to one becoming popular and pretty much trashing the other one's life. I read this for my book club and found it hard to get into. I skimmed a lot of it and just wanted to make it through. It ended up being cute but I felt like the main character was too forgiving, too quick!

Jake Ransom and the Skull King's Shadow by James Rollins

Action adventure story about Jake and Kady, who somehow get pulled into a world full of neanderthals and the Lost Tribes. As Jake struggles to figure out where they are and how to get home, there is a bigger threat lurking: the Skull King, who desperately wants Jake and Kady.

This is a great YA action adventure but a little confusing at times. I kept trying to figure out if they were in the past or the future and how all the Lost Tribes (Romans, Neanderthals, Vikings, etc) ended up on this strange world. Even though it was a tad confusing, it was still a good read and I look forward to the second book.

Uncharted TerriTORI by Tori Spelling

Cute book detailing what's going on in her life now and her new relationship with her mom. It was an easy read but not as funny as her first book.

Charlie St. Cloud by Ben Sherwood

Charlie feels incredible guilt over the car accident that killed his younger brother. For thirteen years after the accident, Charlie spends each night with his brother, playing baseball and holding onto the past. Charlie has a gift that allows him to see those who have died and their spirirts before they move on. Then he meets Tess, who was injured in a boating accident, and is lost at sea. Charlie and Tess start some sort of relationship while Charlie eventually tries to find Tess and return her to her life.

I wanted to read this book because of the movie. The movie seems so good but I thought books are usually better than the movie. It was a hard book to get into. Took me about nine or so chapters before I really became invested and wanted to read more. It had a great middle and second half and I'm happy I stuck with it.

One False Note (book 2: The 39 Clues)

Different books, different authors. Don't think I like it. The first book (The Maze of Bones) was really enjoyable. I liked the author's writing style, but book two seems harder to read.

We continue on the journey to finding the 39 clues. This story takes us to Vienna and Italy to continue to chase down more clues that will ultimately lead to a grand prize.

Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Another vampire (oh excuse me, vampyre) story? Absolutely! I loved loved loved this book. It took a bit to get used the the premise of a vampire boarding school but once I did, I really enjoyed it. This book has everything: vampires, mean girls, good looking guys, drama, and danger. Many of the characters seem a little odd but are endearing. It had a strong storyline of teens who are marked to become vampyres. It follows their lives through "the change."

In the first book, Zoey is marked, her mom and step dad basically disown her, and shes goes to the House of Night, a vampyre finishing school. There she meets some great friends who help her through the change from human to non human, while trying to battle the school's elite clique.

Sons of Destiny by Darren Shan

All I can say is hallejuah!! I've finished the series! I started this one on recommendation from my brother (thanks Mike) who never made it past the first book (too childish he says). I enjoyed the first book, the second book, the third, and on and on. But seriously........twelve books. Way too many. No series should be that long. But anyway, I finished it. I made it through. I finally know how it ends. I'm a little disappointed I think. I'm not sure if I like the ending of the series or not. I like that Darren overcame the prophecy and didn't become Lord of the Shadows. I love the fact that Evanna finally got off her but and actually took part of something instead of sitting on the sidelines. It was a cool twist that Darren was able to replace "himself" in the course of events. That I liked. I'm happy I stuck with the series and happy to see it go.

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray

Originally I wanted to read Rebel Angels by the same author. I was so excited to read it. Then I found out I had to read the first book in the series (see title of post). So I did. And I didn't like it. It was okay. For me, reading something set in "olden times" just didn't work for me. I liked the premise but not the entire plot. So, now that I finished it and see Rebel Angels waiting for me, I'm having second thoughts on whether I should even read it. There are so many other great books to read.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (The Wolves of Mercy Falls 2)

Linger. I love it. It's great (even with green font), it's suspenseful, new characters, and a bittersweet ending. I loved Shiver (the first book). I can't say that I live this one more, but it's different. Each chapter is from a different characters perspective. Isabel, dealing with her brothers death, is now good friends with Grace. Olivia (who's mentioned often but doesn't make an appearance except for one quick snippet as a wolf) is still in wolf form and everyone is wondering about her. Cole, a new wolf, dealing with the fact that he destroyed his friend's life and is desperately trying to stay a wolf. Sam (sigh) who is learning to trust that he's "cured" (but is he really)? And Grace, who becomes sick and is trying to figure out what is happening to her.

I loved everything about this book. Even though it ended on a surprising (and bittersweet) note. Plus it's a pretty cover and that's always a good thing!

Angelology by Danielle Trussoni

I'm obsessed with angels. I love the idea of them, their beauty, their place in the human world. This book was a recommedation. Honestly, when I saw the page count I cringed. It was huge (451). Okay maybe not so huge but more than I really wanted to read for a summer book. But I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. It wasn't an easy read though. There were many times I had to go back and reread things. It had a lot of historical, religious, and biblical references. Not usually my thing.

The idea in this book is not what we are used to when we think of angels. We think of cute (or beautiful), with long feathery wings, and angels that are on the side of good. This book totally twists that around. The premise is that angels are among us. They are suffering from some disesase that slowly kills them. They need to find the lyre, thought to make them strong, and possibly destroy the world. A nun, comes to find out that she comes from a family of angelologists and her new mission is continue their work.

The Maze of Bones (#1) by Rick Riordan

Cute, fast paced read about a brother and sister who embark on a journey to find the 39 clues their grandmother left behind, leading to treasure and making whoever finds it the most powerful member in the family.

Lord of the Shadows by Darren Shan

I started reading this series because my brother raved about it. He made it through book one. I really really wanted to know how the series ends, so here I am, book eleven and thrilled to death there's only one more book left. It's been an okay series. Not one I loved but not terrible. They are easy reads, somewhat juvenile in the beginning but gets better by book four.

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

Fourteen year old girl moves from Manhattan to the small town of Hog's Hollow. She has to deal with being cruelly tortured by the popular girls at school and the fact that her parents are getting divorced. Her mom moves back to her hometown to open up a cupcake bakery.

This book seemed to get good reviews but I just really didn't enjoy reading it as much as I thought I would.

The Everafter by Amy Huntley

What happens when you die? What happens to all those things you lost in your lifetime?

Madison wakes up to nothing. She can't remember her life. She doesn't really remember her name. She just knows that she is in "Is." A place where all of her lost objects have come to show her the life she can't remember. Madison does know that she is dead. As Madison comes into contact with objects she's lost, she finds she can go back and relive those moments in which those objects were lost.

I really loved this book. It was an interesting perspective on "life" after death. Through this journey, Madison relives bad moments, great moments, and finally understands how she dies. The ending was a complete shocker to me. Yes, one of those, yell out loud "OMG" moments. Very few books actually have that ability for me.

Blue Bloods: The Keys to the Repository by Melissa De La Cruz

I enjoyed this quick little read. Background information about the characters and settings of the Blue Bloods world. Many definitions of terms and such used in the series.

Manga

What is manga you ask? I wondered the same thing. Basically is a comic book (or graphic novel) written from right to left. So it's read backwords. It is a very weird style of writing. I read one for a challenge called Aqua. It is all about a female gondolier (yes really) living on planet Aqua for the summer. The president is a cat (yes, I did say cat). Needeless to say manga is not for me. I read one, glad to have had the experience but not again. Any book that gives you directions on HOW to read it is not for me.

Twilight: the Graphic Novel, Volume 1 by Stephenie Meyer

I loved loved loved this book. I've never read a graphic novel. To me, they are too much like comic books, which I didn't really read much of when I was a kid (other than the Archie ones). So I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew the story would be the same but the illustrations.........I fell in love. I found myself studying all of the pages and scenes and really wishing the characters in this novel looked like this on the big screen!

April and Oliver by Tess Callahan

April and Oliver have been friends since they were little. They are actually somehow related. Oliver comes back to town after years of being away so he and his fiance can go to graduate school and get married. April's life is in shambles. Her past is full of abuse, his brother dies, and her boyfriend has a shady past of her own. Oliver gets involved in trying to save April from herself (and others) while destroying his own life in the process.

This book wasn't what I expected. It was a very hard story to get through, not an easy read. I liked Oliver but April seemed to be a little too dark for me. She constantly sought out the wrong guy, the one she knew would hurt her. Her relationship with her father wasn't great. I suspected he knew that she was being abused by his business partner but did nothing to stop it. If it wasn't for Oliver, she probably would have ended up dead.

I finished the book but it's not one that I would recommend to others. I didn't enjoy it. The last 80 pages were better but the ended fell flat.

The Water Mirror by Kai Meyer

Wonderful concept and characters, poorly executed in my opinion. This is a story of Merle and Junipa, who come to live with a magic mirror maker. They are to serve as his apprentices. This story has some fantasy elements that seem cool but just too cool to really believe such as, mermaids (and not pretty ones) magic mirror eyes, stone lions that fly and the Egyptian Empire taking control over the land. This was one book I definitely wasted my time on.

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa De La Cruz

Book four in the series picks up one year later. Lawrence is dead. The conclave thinks that Schulyer is guilty. She and Oliver are on the run. Schuyler ended her secret relationship with Jack, but runs into him again in Paris, and the feelings are still there for the both of them. Mimi is headed out with the venators, looking for Jordan, who was taken from the family after being discovered as the Watcher. Bliss is having a hard time coping with the fact she is carrying the "Visitor" inside her. She realizes that the Visitor is responsible for all of the horrible things that have happened. Through the Visitor, she has corrupted others, and now carries many souls within her.

Happy to say that book four doesn't disappoint. I am just in love with this series. Why you ask?

Top 10 reasons to love the Blue Bloods series:

1.Action
2. Adventure
3. Theory of vampires really being fallen angels from heaven is awesome!
4. Jack and Schulyer and their relationship (and the fact that he is "bonded" to someone else)
5. Exotic locations to travel
6. Oliver (I really feel for him, being with someone who doesn't truly love him)
7. References to historical events, with angels and Lucifer as the characters
8. Cycles of life: being able to live more than one life
9. The non gross factor of vampires who feed (minus all the nasty descriptions of blood)
10. There are many characters that you love to hate (Mimi)

Reasons I don't like the series (just one, I promise):

Jack and Mimi's relationship in their current "cycle." They are bonded angels, but in their current lives came back as twins. The descriptions about how they look at each other, etc is a little hard to take because they are often referred to as brother and sister. That's just weird and creepy!

Great Website

I found this awesome website this morning.

http://fantasticbookreview.blogspot.com/

It has tons of great book reviews, plus I found a new book to love, with the cover art that's just so gorgeous!

Full Moon by Rachel Hawthorne

This is the second book in the Dark Guardian trilogy. I enjoyed the first one but this second one blew it out of the water. I really enjoyed Lindsey's inner struggle as she tries to make the right decision for her future.

Lindsey, a shifter, is about to come upon the first full moon after her seventeenth birthday. Connor has declared her as his mate. They have been together forever but Lindsey is questioning whether they are meant to be. She dreams of Rafe, a quiet bad boy, who has also declared her as his mate. Lindsey must decide between two shifters, while trying to keep her community safe from the medical team who want to study them.

Kissed by an Angel/The Power of Love/ Soulmates by Elizabeth Chandler

This I guess is a three book in one. I was wondering why it was taking me forever to get through it. Duh on me until I realized. Anywho, here's an outline of the books.

Kissed by an Angel is the story of Ivy and Tristan. Tristan is a swimmer on his school's team and extremely popular. Ivy is new to the school. This book follows their story of how their relationship evolved, ending with Tristan's tragic (and somewhat mysterious) death.

In The Power of Love, Tristan, now an angel, is dealing with the fact that he's dead and an angel. He is helped by Lacey, another angel, who urges him to figure out what his mission is. He's overcome with the loss of Ivy, knowing he'll never be with her again. Ivy, meanwhile, is mourning Tristan while everyone around her is telling her to move on. Throughout this story, Tristan comes to the conclusion that someone is out to get Ivy for something she saw but shouldn't have.

In Soulmates, Tristan continue's on his mission of saving Ivy's life. She regains her belief in angels, which she lost after Tristan's death. In regaining her belief, she is able to communicate with Tristan to help figure out the details as to who is after Ivy.

I thought that this was an okay read. Not one that I was captivated by. I love the idea of angels, but this story just seems to be missing the spark that makes you want to keep turning the pages. I originally picked it because of the pretty cover. I guess covers can be deceiving.

Mermaid Park by Beth Mayall

Amy , a swimmer, has a rocky relationship with her Mom, sister and her stepdad. They take a vacation to the beach to see Lynne, her mom's godmother. One bad event leads to Amy staying at the beach for the entire summer. While wandering around, she finds the Mermaid Park. An amusement park of sorts that puts on a mermaid show. With her love of swimming, Amy just knows she has found the perfect summer job.

I actually expected this to be a more magical story. I really didn't enjoy it much. Amy is a wishy washy character who allows her mom to pick her stepdad over her. She doesn't really stick up for herself, even though it's obvious her stepdad is verbally abusive. Her relationship with her sister is strained, as she finds out Mel, lies about everything in her life.

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer

Novella featured one of the newborn vampires from the Eclipse book (and movie.......woot woot). In this novella, we learn more about Bree. How she became to be a vampire, the fact that she really isn't as blood thirty as she looked when Bella finally met up with her and a few secrets about the Volturi.

I enjoyed this as it was a short read, but the lack of chapters or even scene breaks really got on my neves. It was a decent distraction (since I'm waiting with bated breath as to when Midnight Sun will ever be finished and published).

The Icing on the Cupcake by Jennifer Ross

I've been in a little bit of a cupcake craze. I love baking. I bake better than I cook. I love being creative and decorating. I decided to start a blog (cupcake companions) and hopefully gather a little side business on selling decorate cupcakes. So naturally, I"m reading anything having to do with cupcakes. Yes, I'm that crazy.

So, The Icing on the Cupcake is a story of a girl (Ansley) whose life doesn't go as expected. When she's feeling happy, blue, angry, she bakes. This book is her story. All the twists and turns her life took, led her own cupcake business in NYC.

Revelations by Melissa De La Cruz

Book three in the series. Definitely a page turner. Many interesting details come to light, some that I suspected and others that were quite surprising. Just like the other two in the series, it's an easy and fun read. It's definitely a series that I've enjoyed, minus the few quirky things about it.

The Lake of Souls (Cirque Du Freak: 10 by Darren Shan)

After dealing with the loss of his best friend and father figure, Mr. Crepsely, Darren and Harkat Mulds head off in search of Harkat's past identity. Mr. Tiny lets them into a strange world full of giant toads, blank panthers, and amazingly, dragons.

I have been reading this series for a while now. It started as a great recommendation but now I'm to the point where I want to get through it to see how it ends but I"m a little tired of it. I wasn't really that pleased with the way this story is going. Harkat's identity is odd and confusing (as well as how Harkat came to be). Mr. Tiny's role is better explained but still mysterious as to how he came to be in his position. I really didn't like the new twist to the story, even though it's been hinted at in previous books.

Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne

Wonderful story and a series starter about a girl, Kayla, who becomes a summer guide in the wilderness but finds out she's really a shifter (lycanthrope). She meets Lucas, who has chosen her as his mate, to help her through her first transformation.

It's a good easy read. Definitely written for YA since it tends to be worded simply and there isn't too much depth but I like the premise of it.

This World We Live In

This is the second book in the series, the first being Life As We Know It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. In this second book, Miranda and her family have survived one year of their life changing event (the moon being knocked closer to the Earth). They are still struggling to survive and find food. Miranda's dad, his new wife and baby finally come home, bringing three strangers with them. The eleven people all struggle to make it through the day, but life gets tougher when a tornado strikes.

An Easy Read......

Trashy romance novels are a guilty pleasure of mine. I enjoy reading them because they are really easy reads, they are mindless, and they are romantic. I usually try to read one a month. This month's romance is Tempted by Lori Foster, which is a book of three short stories.

Shiver Review

I just finished Shiver and I'm totally in love. When  I started the book I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy it. I was hooked from the very first chapter. The story between Sam and Grace is sweet, sad, romantic and bittersweet. You root for Sam the entire time, hoping he can stay human.  I can definitely say the ending surprised me, but made me really happy! I'm so looking forward to the next book, Linger.

Next Up......

Shiver. I had gotten this book from the library once before but had to return it before I even started. I've heard a lot of great things about this book so I'm really looking forward to reading. One thing that does bother me is the blue text. I know that's a totally weird thing to have as an annoyance in a book but there it is.  I'm going to plow through it, hope I can get past the blue print and into the story.

Just.....Ew!

I'm really enjoying Masquerade by Melissa De La Cruz. However, there is one aspect that is just extremely hard to get past. Mimi and Jack Force (twins in "this cycle") are brother and sister. But they are vampires and haved lived many lifetimes. According to the story, they were bonded (husband/wife type bond) forever. So each cycle they come back as a couple so to speak. So the fact that they are brother and sister but have feelings for each other that are not sibling like is just kind of........well, ew.

Bookmark Swap

One of my online book clubs has started a swap! Bookmarks! Each of us either makes or you can buy a bookmark based on a book that you like or member favorites. I wish I had taken a picture of the first one I made, based on the book Fallen by Lauren Kate. But here's bookmark number two, based on Evermore by Alyson Noel.