Various ARCs Giveaway #2

I'm giving away the following ARCs...

Dreamland Social Club by Tara Altebrando
Fated by Alyson Noel
Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer & Peter Lerangis

...to ONE winner! This giveaway is US only and ends May 3. Just fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter. :)

Review: The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

Title: The Golden Lily (Bloodlines, #2)
Author: Richelle Mead
Pages: 418
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: June 12, 2012

Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students--children of the wealthy and powerful--carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie, and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead's breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.

My Thoughts: 'You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen walking this earth.'

Oh my god...this book! Wow. After enjoying Bloodlines immensely, it was pretty much inevitable that I would love The Golden Lily. This book exceeded all my expectations, and I'm more obsessed with this series now than I already was before. I just can't get enough of it!

In Bloodlines, the focus was on learning about the Alchemists and Sydney bonding with her new group of "siblings." We do learn a bit about the Alchemists, magic, and even the so-called vampire hunters in The Golden Lily, but I felt the story mostly revolved around getting to know Sydney more and her evolving relationships with the characters around her. There was slightly more action than in the previous book. It might not be as much as some want; however, I think there's lots of action to come later. And I can't help but to trust where Richelle Mead is going with this story because so far I'm very happy with how she's developing these characters and their relationships. Likeable characters and great relationships are always what I want in the books I read and this series has that, which is why I want to focus on my two favorite characters: Sydney and Adrian!

I adore Sydney and Adrian so much. Those two are some of the most awesome characters I've read about. They are both kind, funny (although, I don't think Sydney realizes how hilarious some of the things she says can be), smart (yes, Adrian is; just give him a chance!), and protective of others. And when they're together, they challenge and bring out the best in each other. Their relationship is perfect! I get a big smile on my face and my heart flutters whenever they interact or are even in the same room. I about died from happiness a couple of times while reading this book because of them. They are definitely the main reason why I love this series.

Sydney is still uptight at times, but she's opening up quickly and we're starting to see another side of her. While she hasn't gotten over her Alchemists beliefs just yet, she continues to make decisions based on what she believes is right. And some of her actions won't be viewed favorably by the Alchemists at all. It worries me, but I'm impressed with her bravery and glad she has a conscience, unlike other Alchemists. As for Adrian, he keeps surprising me. I feel so guilty now for not caring about him in Vampire Academy. We get to see more of his vulnerable side in this book, and it really hurt to see him down and upset because of the situation with his father and with what spirit does to his mind. I could also include the whole thing with Rose, but I won't. I really don't think it's about that anymore. He deserves a huge hug and so does Sydney!

I'm just loving and having lots of fun with the Bloodlines series. And if you thought the ending of the first book was crazy, wait until you read the ending of The Golden Lily. I had to reread it a couple of times because it was that good. It made me wish I had the next book in my hands right now! (I'm already stalking following Richelle Mead's tweets, hoping for ANY mention of the third book.) Thankfully I have other books to distract me in the meantime, but seriously. I need book three.

With amazing characters and relationships and a very intriguing story, Bloodlines is well on it's way to becoming one of my all time favorite series. I cannot wait to read more!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

In My Mailbox #64

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Library:
Beatle Meets Destiny by Gabrielle Williams

Tour:
Queen of the Night by Leanne Hall [Thanks to Crystal @ WinterHaven Books!]

Won:
Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories ARC [Thanks to whatchYAreading?]
The Golden Lily ARC by Richelle Mead [Thanks to Razorbill!]
Monument 14 ARC by Emmy Laybourne [Thanks to Feiwel & Friends!]

Really excited to have gotten more Aussie books this week: Beatle Meets Destiny and Queen of the Night, which is the sequel to This is Shyness. Already started on those and can't wait to finish them. :) Now, the book that really made my week even better was The Golden Lily! Already read and LOVED it! I'm working on a review now and hoping to get it done soon. If you enjoyed Bloodlines (and Adrian!!), then I have a feeling you're going to love TGL! Seriously, I wish I had the third book right now. I cannot stop thinking about it! Squee!

Okay, that's enough fangirling from me. Need to save it for my review. ;D lol Have a great week!

Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

Title: Fated (Soul Seekers, #1)
Author: Alyson Noel
Pages: 306
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: May 22, 2012

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

My Thoughts: Alyson Noel's new series Soul Seekers takes place in the same world as her Immortals series. There's even a short story where Daire meets Ever, which can be read here. When I found out it was the same world, my curiosity for Fated actually faded a bit. I guess it's because I ended up really disappointed with the Immortals series and I was just hoping this new series would be something completely fresh. I'm not going to lie and say it didn't have it's unique moments or that it wasn't an improvement from the Immortals, but in the world of YA paranormal novels, Fated doesn't stand out.

Now, if you're a fan of the Immortals series, I think you will like this book. It has a slow and steady pace. The writing style is consistent. The main character Daire isn't as...well, let's say she doesn't make quite as many bad decisions as Ever. (I have to admit, though, that there were some instances where I saw bits of Ever in Daire. Hopefully Daire's decision-making doesn't go downhill from here. I am worried, since I didn't think Ever was so bad in Evermore either...and then the other books happened.) Also, there's still plenty of magick. There wasn't nearly as much romance as you would expect, but it's there. There's other similar qualities; however, I want to make it clear that I'm NOT saying it's a replica of the Immortals. I'm saying it felt like an Alyson Noel novel, which may be a good thing if you're a fan.

As for me, I won't be continuing this series. I might read reviews with spoilers of future books, but I'm definitely not going out of my way to read the rest. Fated was too long and tedious and boring to me, and I know I can expect the same in the next book. I definitely don't want to go through that three more times either! I don't believe Fated brings anything new to the genre, nor does it stand out at all amongst other YA paranormal novels. It was somewhat of an improvement from the Immortals and that's about it. (And this may be me being picky, but I don't like male characters with long hair. Dace, the love interest, has it, and it's such a huge turn off! So yeah, that sealed the deal for me.) I think I would only recommend Fated to those who are already Alyson Noel fans.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Thanks to St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Giveaway Winners

Forgot to announce the winners of my two most recent giveaways! Winners were chosen through Rafflecopter.

The winner of the five various ARCs was Erin K.!

And the winners of the e-copy of Friendship on Fire were Rachel and Shante M.!

Congratulations! All winners have already been contacted and should have received their books by now. Hope you all enjoy the books! Thanks to everyone who entered; hopefully I will have more giveaways in the future. :)

Mini-Reviews #5

The following mini-reviews are for books I read in the past couple of months. Even though I wish I had, I didn't write full reviews for these for different reasons, but I hope I managed to get my feelings across in each of these mini-reviews.

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand / Released: Jan. 4, 2011
Normally I can't stand love-triangles, but the great thing about Unearthly is that I didn't feel like I HAD to root for one guy or the other. And that’s what I loved about it. Of course, near the end I was leaning towards one guy. I still was okay with the other guy though. Basically, I think I’m more on the neutral side when it comes to which couple I support the most. I’m really curious how things will play out in Hallowed, since there were some pretty shocking moments and lots of unanswered questions. Really great read. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Fever by Lauren DeStefano / Released: Feb. 21, 2012
The first book in the series Wither was strange. Well, that's one word I would use to describe it. Honestly, I was left feeling 'meh' about that book because...it bored me. It really did. And what I've read of Fever, it already seems even weirder and more boring than Wither. I'm definitely not saying Wither is the better book. Both books are probably on the same level, but reading another book like Wither is not something I'm in the mood to go through again. I want to say I'm putting Fever on-hold for now, but...I doubt I'll pick it back up again to finish reading it. I guess what I'm trying to say is that this series is just not for me. Rating: DNF

Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles / Released: Aug. 16, 2011
For about 2/3 of the book, I couldn't understand why some of my book friends didn't think this book was great. Then the SURPRISE happened. The one involving Luis. I was like, '...What? Ok...I can accept that. As long as there is an explanation.' But afterwards, everything went so fast and don't even get me started on that cheesy epilogue. I might have forgiven all that, but I can't because I did NOT get the explanation! I am completely baffled. All I wanted was some answers & I didn't even get that. I can't stop thinking about it. Seriously, it was 5-star read for me for most of the book and then that unnecessary craziness happened. I feel like I've been lied to. If I didn't really enjoy more than half of this book, then I would be giving it less than 4 stars because that was too much in the end. I'm just going to try to remember all the stuff I enjoyed. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In My Mailbox #63

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi at The Story Siren, inspired by Alea at Pop Culture Junkie.

Book Tour:
A Straight Line to My Heart by Bill Condon [Thanks to Arlene!]
Pan's Whisper by Sue Lawson [Thanks to Flannery @ The Readventurer!]

Won:
Almost by Anne Eliot [Thanks to Joy @ Joyous Reads!]
Fated ARC by Alyson Noel [Thanks to St. Martin's Press & GoodReads!]

Requested (through Shelf Awareness):
A Confusion of Princes ARC by Garth Nix [Thanks to HarperCollins!]
Masque of the Red Death ARC by Bethany Griffin
Unraveling ARC by Elizabeth Norris

It has been nearly two months since I last did an IMM! :o It's also been pretty quiet on my blog since February, but I finally posted new reviews in the past two days. Phew! And at least I got some great books to read. :) Well, don't believe there's anything else I have to say except that if you're an Aussie YA fan, you might want to check this out...

The author of Friendship on Fire is giving away TWO ebook copies of her novel on my blog! Giveaway is international and ends April 9. Go here to enter and read the interview. Thanks!

Review: Amplified by Tara Kelly

Title: Amplified
Author: Tara Kelly
Pages: 304
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
Release Date: October 25, 2011

When privileged 17-year-old Jasmine gets kicked out of her house, she takes what is left of her savings and flees to Santa Cruz to pursue her dream of becoming a musician. Jasmine finds the ideal room in an oceanfront house, but she needs to convince the three guys living there that she's the perfect roommate and lead guitarist for their band, C-Side. Too bad she has major stage fright and the cute bassist doesn't think a spoiled girl from over the hill can hack it...

In this fresh new novel by critically acclaimed author Tara Kelly, Jasmine finds out what happens when her life gets Amplified.

My Thoughts: I knew there was a reason why I added Tara Kelly to my favorite authors list back in 2010. Her debut novel Harmonic Feedback was a favorite read of mine that year, and her second novel Amplified became one of my most anticipated novels for 2011. Just like with her debut, once I started reading Amplified I couldn't stop! I stayed up very late and finally went to sleep when I had only about 20 pages left to read. I loved Amplified as much as Harmonic Feedback, and it was another authentic coming-of-age and music novel by Tara Kelly.

I admit, when I first read the summary of Amplified, it sounded like it would be a cute and light read. I don't believe the summary reveals enough of the depth that can be found in this novel. It would have been so easy for the author to make the main character Jasmine's situation and her relationship with the other characters simple and convenient to resolve. But she didn't make it easy for Jasmine or the rest of the characters, and I loved that. It felt true and real. Including the music, which was another aspect I loved about the novel.

What I loved about Jasmine was how deep her passion for music and playing guitar was. She believed in her ability to create music, but she tended to be awkward around people and had some issues when it came to performing in front of crowds. She was pretty stubborn though and determined to prove herself. I found Jasmine to be such an easy character for me to relate to, and it was her awkwardness and determination that made me root for her. She really had to work hard to overcome her fears and prove that she deserved a chance.

My heart also went out to Jasmine because of the difficult situation she was in. Not only did she have to prove herself to the band, but her strict father kicked her out for postponing college. She basically had no money and decided not to say anything to her new band-mates because she doesn't quite trust others nor does she want to burden anyone with her problems. It would have been easier if she had spoken up, but I know the feeling of not wanting to let anyone know if something is wrong. There's shame and embarrassment involved, so I completely understand why she felt the need to keep it to herself.

Her band-mates were all interesting people, but I want to just focus on one of them, the bassist Sean. When Sean first appeared, he really wasn't nice to Jasmine. I assumed he would be one of those bad boys, but once Jasmine got to know him, he's actually a smart and good (and cute!) guy who's not perfect. I really adored his character, and it was great reading how Jasmine's relationship with him gradually changed and developed as the story progressed. I loved their moments together, but like I mentioned, the author didn't take the easy route with these characters. Once Jasmine and Sean's relationship started getting a bit serious, it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows from there, which to me made it that much more realistic.

Like Harmonic Feedback, Amplified was such an authentic, relatable, and wonderful read. Tara Kelly is definitely an author to look out for! (Also, I know I'm being biased, but I have to say that out of all the authors I've read books by, Tara Kelly is the one with the best taste in music!) I'm so looking forward to reading her next novel. And I really hope there are sequels to Amplified in the works because these characters all have their own stories that should be told. But whatever novel comes next, I just know I won't be disappointed.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Review: The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Last Echo (Body Finder, #3)
Author: Kimberly Derting
Pages: 358
Publisher: HarperCollins
Release Date: April 17, 2012

Violet kept her morbid ability to sense dead bodies a secret from everyone except her family and her childhood-best-friend-turned-boyfriend, Jay Heaton. That is until forensic psychologist Sara Priest discovered Violet's talent and invited her to use her gift to track down murderers. Now, as she works with an eclectic group of individuals—including mysterious and dangerously attractive Rafe—it's Violet's job to help those who have been murdered by bringing their killers to justice. When Violet discovers the body of a college girl killed by "the girlfriend collector" she is determined to solve the case. But now the serial killer is on the lookout for a new "relationship" and Violet may have caught his eye....

My Thoughts (contains minor spoilers): This was an interesting installment in the Body Finder series. It frustrated me and yet reminded me how much I loved the first book The Body Finder. While I couldn't bring myself to appreciate certain aspects, I think if you're a fan of the events that occurred in the second book Desires of the Dead you'll probably enjoy The Last Echo.

As I mentioned in my review for Desires of the Dead, there were some changes compared to what we read in the first book. Violet was much more secretive and there were new, mysterious characters involved with the FBI. What I hoped in this third book was that Violet would be more open and stop keeping secrets and that we would learn more about the new characters. Only one of those things happened, and I'm not sure I feel all that happy about it. In fact, it was a bit disappointing.

Before I get a little into that I want to mention what I liked about The Last Echo. I thought the creepy stalker-bad guy was way better than the one in Desires of the Dead! It's repetitive and at times very strange, but the chapters from the bad guy's POV is what I think stands out the most in the Body Finder novels. It's the one thing that I don't mind stays consistent in the series. Another thing I liked in this book, for the most part, was Jay. Jay was still the perfect boyfriend! He's such a great guy, and he continues to be my favorite character in the series. I wish there was more good stuff I could say about Jay, but I have to admit his role or lack thereof was part of the reason why I felt bummed about The Last Echo.

While I liked whenever there were Jay scenes, I don't think having a character be the supportive boyfriend ALL the time is a good thing. What I usually see in books with characters like this is that they aren't as important to the story later on, resulting in less page-time. That's what I felt happened to Jay. He became a background character who is just there to support and eventually agree with everything his girlfriend says or does. Some girls need to be challenged, and Violet is definitely one of them. I didn't like how she basically had free rein in their relationship. She's allowed to do whatever she wants, but the moment Jay does something, she's gets angry and jealous. It REALLY bothered me.

But I think the main purpose of having less Jay was to give the other guy Rafe time to shine and to develop a love-triangle. I had a feeling there would be something after reading Desires of the Dead, but I was really hoping I was wrong and that the series wouldn't go that route. The love-triangle (and the decisiveness that goes along with it) was the most disappointing aspect of The Last Echo. I wasn't convinced by it one bit. I think I would have been able to deal with an irritating Violet if there wasn't this whole thing with Rafe. I honestly don't understand what the point is if she's going to be with Jay anyway. But maybe that's me. I just don't think a love-triangle is needed to make a romance interesting, and most of the time it ruins the characters and story for me. And that's basically what happened with The Last Echo.

Like I said before, if you enjoyed Desires of the Dead or Rafe or even love-triangles, you'll most likely enjoy The Last Echo. As for me, The Body Finder will always be my favorite book in the series. I wouldn't mind giving the final book (at least I think it's the last one) in the series a chance, but I think I'm going to have to wait and see what others think before I give it a read.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Thanks to Southern Book Bloggers for the ARC tour!