Review: Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Goodreads description:

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

First Sentence: I actually am going to skip the prologue and give you the first sentence of Chapter One; “I didn’t think m day could get any worse until my best friend told me she might be going crazy. Again.”

Characters: Rose- I love her. I really do. But she annoyed me so much at times. Okay, yeah she’s a beast at being a guardian in training and all. She seemed way too conceited though. Like, she knew she was hot, and flaunted that. She knew she was a good guardian. All of her best qualities make her into a really supercilious (I just love that word—It means stuck up) person and honestly, I don’t see what Dimitri sees in her.

Dimitri- *sighs* So dreamy but I feel like I’m not getting enough of him. I get that he’s all hot and a “God” but still. He doesn’t get much “screen time”. I wish there was more to read about him.

Lissa- Rose’s best friend…well, she is spending too much time with Christian. Just saying. Come on! Rose is your best friend, Liss, make time for her too.

Mason- Poor, poor Mason. He is so in love with Rose and she just…ugh. Uses him, basically. Okay, she tried to reciprocate the feelings, I give her that. The first time I read this, I was all for Team Rose + Mason. He’s just all wrong for her, yet I felt bad. And then in the end…I’m not going into details so I don’t spoil anything.

Content: Strange Strigoi attacks? Attacks that don’t follow any of the accepted beliefs? Plus, forbidden love? Perfect story right there.

Setting and details: Umm… Idaho, I think, is where a lot of this was taken place. Well, first it was the Academy in Montana, and then a ski resort in, I think, Idaho. Oh, then there’s Spokane, in Washington, right? Anyways, it was snowy and there were mountains. Mostly all I got out of the descriptions.

Overall Enjoyment: I’ve got to say this book was better the first time I read it. Not meaning I didn’t love it this time around, too, ‘cause I totally did. I kept reading and reading. I cried the first time I read Frostbite, wasn’t quite expecting to cry this time as well. But I did. And really? Any book that can bring tears to my eyes is a good book. I’m pretty sure this is my favorite in the series.

Review: Radiance by Alyson Noel

Goodreads description:

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley . . .

First Sentence: “Most people think that death is the end. The end of life-of good times-the end of, well, pretty much everything. But those people are wrong. Dead wrong. And I should know. I died almost a year ago.”

Originality: I really liked the unique perspective of seeing the story through the dead person’s eyes. Usually the story is told from someone who is alive and can see dead people, like Alyson Noel’s Immortals series, which is what started Riley’s story. Noel could have not told Riley’s story, but I am glad that she did, and glad that she added more details to the world that was started in Evermore. She went beyond Summerland…to the other side of the Bridge.

Characters: Riley…Oh, Riley. She is like a typical 12 year old, except she doesn’t annoy the heck out of me. Poor Riley really doesn’t know who she is, which is why she was always following her sister, Ever, around. Now Ever is alive, and Riley isn’t, and so she has to figure out who she is, and who she wants to be in the afterlife.

Content: I loved the Immortals series, with the, um, well Immortals, and now it’s Riley’s turn, showcasing the spirits, or ghosts, whatever you want to call them. There was a Q & A with Alyson Noel at the back of the book where Noel said that this is what she hopes the afterlife will be like, and I can’t help agreeing with her.

Setting: Radiance is set in the Here and Now. Hehe. I just thought that was hilarious. Everywhere you go, it is Here. No matter what time of day it is, it is Now. This could be a little confusing if you get all technical about it. Really, just think of it as Heaven. How I pictured it though, was seeing the communities of the real world floating on clouds. Okay, I know. That may not have been what Noel was trying to convey, but that’s was I pictured in my mind.

Overall Enjoyment: I was semi-bored at some points, honestly. But hey. I just got finished reading The Hunger Games, and nothing can hold up to those standards. Overall though? I liked the story, it was a good, fast paced read. I will definitely read the rest of the series just to see how Riley progresses. Now that the Immortals series is over, I’m reluctant to leave this world.

If you’ve read and enjoyed the Immortals series, starting with Evermore, than yes, I would suggest you pick up Radiance and give it a try. I need to see if the library has the next book, if not get it on Inter-Library Loan. J

W.W.W. Wednesdays (19)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions and leave your link at Should Be Reading:

1. What are you currently reading?

2. What did you recently finish reading?

3. What do you think you'll read next?

Review: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Goodreads description:
St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.


First Sentence: “I felt her fear before I heard her screams.”

Originality: Heck yes this is original! Come on, you have to agree with me on this. Richelle Mead has created an entire separate world. There’s Dhampirs, Moroi, and Strigoi. None of which would have existed without Mead.

Characters: Rose. Is. So. Amazing. She’s like, my fictional role model. She’s one of the few female dhampirs(half human, half vampire) that wants to fight against strigoi. It’s all she lives for. Protecting her best friend, Lissa, mainly, as well. I love Lissa too. She is supposed to be this high-and-mighty moroi(good vampire) princess. But really she is just an insecure teenage girl, and that makes her relatable.

And don’t even get me started on the guys! Dimitri…*sigh*. You can so tell he loves Rose but he won’t admit it. Then, there’s Christian. The dark guy everyone is intimidated by. He’s the perfect guy for Lissa. Another one of my favorite guys is Mason, of course. He’s the underdog is all of this. He is so obviously head over heels for Rose, but she can’t make herself feel the same for him. L

Content: This whole world is incredible. All the magic, and there’s even a story of love and friendship behind it. Truly amazing and beautiful. I always wonder, if this world were real, what type of character I’d be. I think I’d want to be a Dhampir, just because they are so BA. I’d love to just be able to protect someone like that.

Setting: Ever since I first read this series, I’ve wanted to move to Montana. Not really because of this first book, but others in the series. Vampire Academy is set at St. Vladmirs Academy, in a remote  area of Montana. I would love to see this setting in a movie.

Overall Enjoyment: Richelle Mead has got to be my favorite Young Adult author. The writing in this book is just…perfect and magical and all-around the most amazing series known to mankind. Maybe I’m over exaggerating, but I don’t care. It’s sad that the series is over, but I am so glad to look forward to more of Mead’s Bloodlines series- a spinoff of the VA series. Stay updated with the blog for more Vampire Academy reviews, for I will be re-reading them all shortly.

If you’ve read this series, I’d love your input on how much you enjoyed it, or even why you didn’t like it. Maybe comment with a link to your review ;) If you have not read these yet, I’m seriously considering committing you to a mental institution. Hehe just kidding. But really! If you like young adult paranormal/sci-fi type stuff, this is the book for you!

Review: Night Star by Alyson Noel

With Roman gone, Haven seeks her revenge on Ever and Jude. Haven targets Ever by trying to turn her against Damen. This doesn't work until Ever finds secrets of Damen's past, causing her to grow closer to Jude. Haven, addicted to the elixir, is desperate for any she can get, while Ever is desperate to get the antidote. They come to a compromise, but when Haven goes back on her word, things become deadly.

What I love about series is that while each book has its own climax, the series itself also has a climax. I think that Night Star is the climax of the Immortals series. There was tons of action, and kept me wanting more after each page. 

Review: Dark Flame by Alyson Noel

Now that Ever's misguided friend, Haven, has accumulated extreme power and gone to the "Dark Side", Ever is that much more powerless against Roman. Desperate to get the antidote to the antidote, Ever dips into the dark magic of the Book of Shadows, accidentally attaching herself to Roman, her biggest enemy. Ever only has her eyes set on him, pushing everyone else away from her, literally becoming a monster. But with the help of her friends, Ever is able to get close to Roman, almost getting the antidote. That is, until Jude, acting before thinking, ends all of Ever's hopes of being with her soul mate, Damen.

This is the worst part of reviewing books: giving criticism. I honestly think this addition was a little...blah compared to the others. Don't get me wrong, it was a really good book. It just seemed to be a flat point in the series. Still, I would definitely recommend this to anyone interested in young adult paranormal romances.

Let The 74th Hunger Games Begin

Let The Countdown Begin: 1 Day!!!

Review: Shadowland by Alyson Noel

Now that the summer is coming near, the only thing Ever wants is to be with her immortal boyfriend, Damen. But, knowing that's impossible, thanks to Roman, she goes to Mystics & Moonbeams hoping to find help. What she finds, however, is that the stores owner, Lina, is on vacation. Her grandson, Jude, is now taking care of the store. Jude, a psychic who can see spirits, even those who have crossed over, strikes a strange resemblance to someone from Ever's past. With Lina gone, and Jude being of little help, Ever finds the Book of Shadows, which can't even be deciphered since it's written in code. Roman, the cause of Ever's desperation, isn't done yet though. He decides to target Haven next, making Ever make a choice she will surely regret.

I think this third installation in the Immortals series definitly got things moving along. I couldn't let go of this book, ready for hours on end until it was finished. I appreciate how Alyson Noel makes it seem as if I actually know the characters.

Let The Countdown Begin: 2 Days

Review: Blue Moon by Alyson Noel

Now that Ever and Damen have finally found each other, things are going perfect. That is, until Roman comes to their school. While everyone else there  seems to love him, Ever just can't bring herself to like the guy. Things start going really bad when Damen starts to ignore Ever, and it seems that Roman might be the cause. Even her best friends are turning against her, now sitting at lunch table A. In a race to save Damen's life, Ever finds she has to pay a price she isn't sure she's willing to pay.

Great book. I literally stayed up til midnight to finish it :) There was just this turning point, much like in the first book in the series, Evermore, where I couldn't put the book down. Yet again another great story from Alyson Noel.

Let The Countdown Begin: 3 Days

Review: Evermore by Alyson Noel

After a tragic accident that killed Ever's family, she finds herself with...unusual powers. She can see auras, read minds, and see life stories by touch. Then when the mysterious Damen comes to town, along with his ex, Drina, Ever gets a lot more problems than just being a psychic. In Evermore, by Alyson Noel, Ever Bloom has to overcome extreme obstacles.

I have to admit, the first half wasn't so great. Then once I got started, I could not put this book down. Alyson Noel has a way of making her characters seem human, yet ab0ve the ordinary. I love it. Go read this now!!!

Let The Countdown Begin: 4 Days

Review: Family Storms by VC Andrews

When Sasha's mother is killed in a car wreck one rainy night, she is left injured with no one to care for her. Laying in the hospital with broken bones, Sasha is visited by Jordan March. Mrs. March is very wealthy and wants to take Sasha in as a foster child. Then, Sasha finds that Jordan's daughter, Kiera, is the one who was driving the the car that ended her mothers life. As Sasha is put into Mrs. March's dead daughter's room, Kiera is out to make Sasha's life hell.

Oooh I was so hooked on this book. I couldn't put it down!! Great come-back from author V.C. Andrews after the last one I read. So many unsuspected actions happened. It kept me wanting more.

Let The Countdown Begin: 5 Days

Review: Royal Blood by Ellen Schreiber

Gothic Girl Raven Madison's world is turned upside down when the summer days filled with spending time with her vampire boyfriend, Alexander, come to an end. First of all, she's forced to go to school (blech!!) where she's tormented by her lifetime nemesis, Trevor. Making things worse, she has to be partners with Trevor. At least Raven has Alexander. That is, until his parents come to visit. Then, things go downhill even more when Alexander's parents want him to move back with them to Romania. Luckily, Raven is here to save the day.

Ahh, I love this book. Short, but entertaining. I love the over exaggerated gothic-ness. It's hilarious. And the characters are people we all know. Raven: the freak (no offense!! I love goth people) Alexander: the outsider. Trevor: jock. Becky: the best friend.

I would most definitely recommend this book to anyone. But read the first five books in the series first!!!

Also by Ellen Schreiber:

Vampire Kisses, Kissing Coffins, Vampireville, Dance with a Vampire, Coffin Club

Let The Countdown Begin: 6 Days

Review: Daughter of Darkness by VC Andrews

Daughter of Darkness is about a teenagee girl, Lorelei, who is brought up to believe love is poison. She knows that her sisters bring home victims for her father, a vampire, and that her time to deliver is coming soon. But when that time comes, she falls in love with the victim. Shes forced to turn her back on the only life she's ever known in order to save her lovers life.

My opinion: I've got to say I was pretty dissapointed. V.C. Andrews is one of my favorite authors and I was expecting much more. Really, the only reason I knew the book was about vampires was because of the back cover. They only used the word 'vampire' at the very end, and that was only once. I thought "hey, my favorite author+vampire book=epic". Nope. I was wrong. Yes, I would recommend this book though. But you'd be better off reading one of V.C. Andrews earlier stories. Example: "Ruby(Landry Series)", "Heaven(Casteel Series)" or "Melody(Logan Series)".

I doubt there will be a sequel. But if there is, I really hope it's better than this one.

Giveaway @ Claire Reads and @ Sparkling Reviews

Hey guys! So I had a great turn out with my very first giveaway. Wish I could do another one! But I can't yet :( HOWEVER I'm gonna share this great, 250 follower giveaway over at  Claire Reads and a $500 Amazon gift card giveaway at Sparkling Reviews.

Just follow the links and enter the giveaways!

Update:

Last year, was when I started my first book blog. I used a different name and everything. Kind of like a pseudonym. I quit that for a while, then I created this blog. I love this blog, and how well it's been for me so far. Seriously, books and blogging is what keeps me going.

I love everyone who takes the time to view my blog, read a post, and am so excited when I see comments!

Just remembering my old blog, and how all of this got started, I decided to check out that account.

My reviews were terrible! I mean, not as in the books themselves sucked, but I didn't do much in the way of convincing the reader (you!) to go buy the book.

Still, I'm scheduling a post for each day in the coming week to showcase my very sucky reviews. Since, starting tomorrow (well, 2:35pm today), it will be Spring Break at my school, I won't be able to get to a computer very easily. So instead of being completely gone for the entire time, I've schedule one of my old reviews for each day.

Don't laugh! I might go back and re-read those books to make a better review :)

Let The Countdown Begin: One Week!!

Let The Countdown Begin: 8 Days

New Hunger Games Clip

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Yes, I am about to cry. I can remember this part in the book perfectly, how I was like, *GASP* the entire time. *Sighs* I really cannot wait for the movie...

Let The Countdown Begin: 9 Days

W.W.W. Wednesdays (18)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions and leave your link at Should Be Reading:

1. What are you currently reading?

2. What did you recently finish reading?

3. What do you think you'll read next?

A lot of re-reading lately. Right now, I'm reading Vampire Academy, which I've already read, oh, I don't know, ten times? Okay, maybe not that much. And next I'm going to re-read The Hunger Games for the second time in honor of the upcoming movie. So excited!

What have you read recently?

Review: Night World series by LJ Smith

Goodreads:

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among us without our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.

In Secret Vampire, Poppy thought the summer would last forever. Then she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Now Poppy's only hope for survival is James, her friend and secret love. A vampire in the Night World, James can make Poppy immortal. But first they both must risk everything to go against the laws of Night World.

Fugitives from Night World, three vampire sisters leave their isolated home to live among humans in Daughters of Darkness. Their brother, Ash, is sent to bring the girls back, but he falls in love with their beautiful friend.

Two witch cousins fight over their high school crush. It's a battle between black magic and white magic in Spellbinder.

Goodreads:

In Dark Angel, Gillian is saved from drowning by her guardian angel. Only visible to Gillian, Angel will fulfill her heart's every desire. But when Angel starts making strange and sinister requests, Gillian must question who he truly is and where he came from.

Armed with a wooden stake, martial arts, and the will to resist a vampire's mind control, Rashel struggles to avenge her mother's death in The Chosen. Then she meets Quinn, her soulmate, who is part of the world she has vowed to destroy.

Hannah receives notes warning her of incredible danger in Soulmate. But if death is her destiny, is the Lord of the Night World's love strong enough to save her?

Goodreads:

A vampire hunter -- who is half vampire -- stalks her own kind to protect humans in Huntress.

In Black Dawn, Maggie stumbles upon an old Night World kingdom where the ruling vampire prince is both an enemy and an ally.

And Circle Daybreak hires Keller, a shapeshifting panther, to guard a new Wild Power in Witchlight. But when Keller falls in love with the Wild Power's soulmate, her love could destroy everything....

First Sentence: Well since this is technically a review of nine books, I’m not going to include the first line. But, I will include my favorite quote from the series. “You don’t love someone because of their looks or their car. You love them because they sing a song that nobody but you can understand.” –Night World 1; Secret Vampire

Originality: I love how original this series is. Most of the time, an author will focus on one or two ‘monsters’ at a time. Well, I suppose that is what LJ Smith did. In each addition, there’s usually just one type of monster as the main character. They still tie in with each other in the end, and even throughout the book, because they all live in the Night World- made of vampires, witches, werewolves, shape shifters, and, most recently, humans.

Characters: So many characters to fall in love with. I was really hooked with the first book, Secret Vampire, with the story of Poppy and James. And then in Daughters of Darkness my love for the series grew even more. Though I love every single person in these books, my favorite characters would have to be Hannah and Thierry, from Soulmates. Their love just stands through the test of time, no matter how many problems they run into.

Content: I love love love all the monsters featured here. The only part that bothers me is that werewolves are considered low class in the Night World, almost as low as vermin (aka humans). The Night World council hates vermin so much that they’ve made a law against a NW citizen to fall in love with a human. The punishment? Death. That’s really what this series is about- forbidden love and the awakening of the “soulmate principle”. Only, towards the end of the series, the plot changes to stopping the apocalypse. And even though I still loved those stories at the end, it bothered me a little. It’s like how I feel with the TV show, Supernatural. I absolutely loved it when all they did was travel around killing the monsters, but lost interest when it started being all about the apocalypse. If you’re not into the whole “end of the world” thing, then you could still read the first two books.

Setting: Well, the setting is all over the place. Its nine books, with different main characters in each, so one can only expect several settings. If I had to say only one place though, I’d say “the Night World”. Except...that isn’t a place exactly. It’s just the hidden society of all things magical.

Overall Enjoyment: This is my…fifth time?...reading this series. So obviously I loved it. Sure, it was best the first time I read it, but I still enjoy it. Since I was re-reading it this time just to freshen my mind and write this review, I sort of skimmed through a lot of it (shame on me!). These books were originally published separately (so, not 3 books in each one) in the ‘90s and I’m actually still waiting for the last book to be re-published. I picked up these books in 2009 and the release date for NW4 was supposed to be around that time. I guess they just haven’t republished it yet, or aren’t going to. But, if anyone knows information about this, please let me know. If you haven’t read this series yet, I don’t know what you’re waiting for.

Let The Countdown Begin: 10 Days

Giveaway Winner: When Destiny Knocks by Heather M. White

Drumroll please!

After getting some great responses, my giveaway of When Destiny Knocks is officially closed.

I got many unique answers! I was actually surprised to hear that many people like mermaids. Who knew? I didn’t even know that mermaids were a big thing right now. So, if anyone has read a good mermaid book, please recommend it to me. I’d love to give them a try.

My favorite response? Someone replied with “Aces” from Shelly Crane’s Significance series. If I were presented with the question of my favorite mythical creature, I would never think of Aces! But I love them! They aren’t well-known, and you know what? They should be.

Now for what you’re all waiting for: the winner. This person was one of my last entries. She couldn’t decide which creature to pick and I know I couldn’t choose just one either! She was also the person to say Aces. No, I didn’t choose the winner based on response, I used a random generator online.

And the winner is…JLynn! You can find JLynn at Sated Faery.

Congrats to JLynn, and thanks to all who participated! I had so much fun!

Until next time,

-Stephanie

Let The Countdown Begin: 11 Days

Let The Countdown Begin: 12 Days

Let The Countdown Begin: 13 Days

Let The Countdown Begin: 2 Weeks

Let The Countdown Begin: 15 Days

Preview:

Okay guys,
So I've been writing lately and I'm a little worried that, once I finish this story, people won't like it. I'm going to post the prologue and I'd like some feedback. Would you read this story, based on the beginning?

Prologue

It all started when I was 12. My world came crashing down around me when my parents revealed the big surprise—they were vampire hunters. And guess what? 12 years old is just the right time for a girl to learn the trade.

            For years, we traveled around the globe searching for and killing the biggest and baddest vampires of all. Wait. You thought vampires were invincible, live forever, guys right? No. Maybe the sensitive types that sparkle in the sun instead of burn? I mean, come on. I love those movies, haven’t read the books, but vampires. Do. Not. Sparkle.

            Well, okay, they don’t combust into flames in the sun, but for many, it hurts a lot. Some vampires have built up immunity to the sun and can go outside for minimum intervals of time. Those kinds are the most dangerous.

            So how did we kill them, you ask? Beheading? Staking? Set them on fire?

            Holy water.

            Yes. Out of all the myths on how to kill a bloodsucking demon, holy water is the only one that gets the job done. The other methods just tick a vamp off. And you do not want to be on a vampire’s bad side.

            My parents used to buy our water from a guy in France. Then a vampire found out and killed the merchant…and my parents.

            Ever since then, I’ve been trying to track down that vampire and make up for what he did.

            Now, I’m seventeen, and tomorrow is the first day at my new school.

W.W.W. Wednesdays (17)

To play along just answer the following three (3) questions and leave your link at Should Be Reading:

1. What are you currently reading?

2. What did you recently finish reading?

3. What do you think you'll read next?

Let The Countdown Begin: 16 Days

Let The Countdown Begin: 17 Days

Musing Mondays (3)

Musing Mondays is a weekly event where MizB from Should Be Reading asks a reading related question, and you answer thoughtfully.

This week’s musing asks…

When you walk into a bookstore — any bookstore — what’s the first section you head toward (what draws you)?

All right.. So, the first thing I go to is the "new books" section. That's right next to the bargain books, so I go there next. The only "adult" books I read are V.C. Andrews novels, which is where I head to after the bargain books. Then finally, I spend a very substantial amount of time in the "young adult" section, staring at all the pretty books. :)

Please leave a comment with your Musing Mondays post, and check out my very first giveaway: http://reviewingwhatimreading.blogspot.com/2012/03/review-when-destiny-knocks-by-heather.html

Let The Countdown Begin: 18 Days