March 31, 2011

Chime by Franny Billingsley

Chime




OK! It is finally time that I became completely honest with myself! I am REALLY struggling with this book. It has taken me 3 weeks to get to page 99 when I should have read the whole book in 3 to 5 days TOPS!

Don’t get me wrong, the storyline is good! It is the writing style that is putting me to sleep every 10 pages. When reading the last few pages I thought, “Am I reading poetry?” To make it even tougher to read, the main character, Briony, is constantly engaged in an internal self-loathing and self-hatred mind battle with herself!

This was my first ARC, so I felt a little devoted to finishing this book. But it has now caused all my other (I’m sure amazing) books to be pushed to the back burner. Now that I have slowly started to part ways with this book and set it aside, I realized that I am no longer pissed off at my new puppy for chewing on my first ARC!

And, I can now attend to the other books sitting on my nightstand. But I’ll need superpowers to SPEED read them so I can avoid an enormous late charge at the library.

At the moment...I am not going to give this book a rating because I would like to still give it a chance. I still have high hopes for this book.

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March 28, 2011

In My Mailbox

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In My Mailbox hosted by Story Siren


From the library

Darkness Becomes HerNevermoreParanormalcyThe Coven (Sweep, No. 2)


Books I won!

Plague: A Gone NovelAnathema: Cloud Prophet Trilogy: Book One (Volume 1)


Books I Bought

Goth Girl RisingGoneLies: A Gone NovelHunger: A Gone Novel



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March 26, 2011

Me, My Shelf and I: Contests & Giveaways

WooHoo!!! I won an Autographed copy of Anathema by Megg Jensen! Thanks Me, My Shelf and I: Contests & Giveaways!

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City of Fallen Angels Book Giveaway!

City of Fallen Angels book Giveaway!: "City Of Fallen Angels Book Giveaway!
Expired

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Getting to know me and you!

Come join the Book Blogger Hop!

Questions of the week is:  "If you could physically put yourself into a book or series…which one would it be and why?"
My answer ~ Mortal Instruments because there are really hot characters in the book (I'm in love with Jace) and I would want to be a kick a** heroine so I would want to be a Shadow Hunter!

 

Join the Follow my Book Blog Friday!

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March 24, 2011

Book of Shadows by Cate Tiernan

Book of Shadows (Wicca, #1)


Book Summary:  Morgan thinks witchcraft is laughable when her best friend Bree drags her to a meeting of the Cirrus Coven. But during a cermony led by Cal, Morgan's long-time crush, Morgan feels a shock. Suddenly everything looks brighter, clearer. Morgan doesn't want to get involved with witchcraft-but she feels like witchcraft is choosing her.

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My Take:  Wow! What can I say without completely ruining this book?

In previous reviews; I have complained about books with way too much page filler but not this book! It is a small, quick, easy and entertaining read!

Unlike a lot of the other Urban Fantasy books I have been reading lately, this book seemed really lifelike! I could see how this would make someone curious about Wicca. I don't believe in "Wicca" or White Magic but I could see how this book could make someone really want to study into it.

Morgan is just an average shy girl with a very popular best friend Bree! Morgan and Bree have been best friends since they were young kids. Even with Morgan and Bree hanging out in two completely different crowds, it never dampens their close relationship.

There is a new boy in their school. Cal Blaire. The moment he walks up to the school, everyone's head turns in his direction. All the girls immediately salivate over his olive skin and gold colored eyes. To make it even worse, Morgan isn’t immune to his stunning looks! Morgan has never been fully in to a guy before now; she has never had a boyfriend or even her first kiss. She is automatically drawn to Cal but she knows that he is way out of her league.

Once everyone starts getting to know Cal; just about everyone either wants to be his friend or just “wants him period”. The exception is all the guys that are jealous that their girlfriend gawk at Cal right in front of them. Cal doesn’t fall into a click to “hang” with, he just accepts each person the same as the next. Morgan admires this about Cal; he even goes out of his way to start multiple conversations with her! Her one concern is that she thinks he is a player. He goes on dates with girls but just goes from one to the next.

One day, Cal goes around the school to all the Junior and Senior students to invite them to a party. The directions he gives them leads the partygoers to a large field and this is when Cal introduces Wicca. This meeting wakes up something in Morgan.

I am going to immediately start the second book to the series and I this is a book that I would highly recommend!


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March 20, 2011

Giveaway!!!!

Go to link below and enter giveaways A BOOK OF YOUR CHOICE!!
You also have the chance to win Darkness Becomes Her!

HookedToBooks.com

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Mindy has invited you to join Random Buzzers

Hi,

Come join me at Random Buzzers. Random Buzzers – a fun teen book community where you can score free books, chat with authors, share reviews and more – all of which earn you Buzz Bucks. You can cash in those Bucks for all kinds of prizes like books, movies, gift cards & more!
Hope you'll come join us!

If you want to join or learn more about Random Buzzers, click on the link below (or cut-and-paste it into your web browser):
http://www.randombuzzers.com/?friend=E8Qc3Y

- Random Buzzers

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March 13, 2011

Listening to all my older music!

Did any of you ever listen to Evenescence, Blink 182, Good Charlotte, Sublime, Weezer and even Papa Roach!

I love it!

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March 10, 2011

False Victim by Kathie Truitt

False VictimPublisher's Summary: Julie Patterson is a former Miss Mississippi with a successful husband, two wonderful children, and the lavish life that many can only dream about. Her life becomes even better when her husband receives a long-awaited promotion and the family moves to a neighborhood near Washington DC. Julie quickly makes friends with neighbors, except for the woman who lives behind her, who simply stares without acknowledgment of Julie. After a while, though, the woman, Lynn, warms up to Julie, and the two form a fast friendship.

But this friendship quickly turns strange as Julie learns of Lynn's propensity to lie for attention. She and her family also notice that Lynn has gotten the same car as Julie, has begun to dress like Julie, is getting a pool just like Julie, and is consistently attempting to one-up Julie. At first everyone brushes it off, but when one lie threatens Julie's family, she begins to realize Lynn has some unknown agenda, and Julie is her target. No one else takes it seriously, and many neighbors side with Lynn, even as the situation begins to spiral out of control, until one is found on the stand for attempted murder.

Is Lynn a False Victim, or could Julie be guilty? Is there an end to the madness? Will the story end happily? You'll be on the edge of your seat as you await the answers in this gripping, psychological thriller based on a true story.

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First off, I have to say that I won this book through Goodreads First Reads! I would absolutely recommend anyone to read this book!

Author Kathie Truitt wrote False Victim based on a true story. The story is of an appalling event that happened to the author and she uses false names to tell her story.

From the very beginning of the book I was instantly compelled to keep reading. As the story progressed, my emotions took over. As I was gripping the book I kept thinking, “what is this b*tch going to do next?” The things that Lynn does to Julie are more than awful! I had kept questioning myself what I would do in Julie’s situation and I don’t think I could have handled it near as long as she did. I am pretty sure that I would have snapped right from the beginning! Not only did I grow a bitter hate for Lynn, I was angry with the authorities and the laws that were in place that would/could not protect Julie and her family.

I was even thinking, “Either Julie really tries to kill this psycho, or Lynn is going to try and frame Julie for murder.” Neither would have surprised me in the least!

The worst part for me is when it really starts to affect poor little Will! I actually cried for him! Oh, My, Gosh!! And the part when she has to explain to her son that she may be going to prison, that part was a complete tearjerker. OH! It was also a huge eye opener when Julie realizes who Lynn’s biggest victims are and they will never be able to escape!

Anyways, this review is going to be extremely long because I need to vomit out everything that is embedded in my brain about the storyline. I have been dying to tell someone about this book because it is so crazy! So here it is:

The Prologue starts off as; Julie is getting ready to go to court for a charge that would ultimately cause her to go to prison if found guilty.

The Patterson family has to relocate from their hometown of Portman Mississippi, to Woodbridge Virginia to pursue Tom’s career in politics. The house that Julie finds seems to be the perfect fit for their life change.

Julie was concerned that she would not fit in in this new neighborhood. The moment the Patterson family was settled; Julie quickly met and made friends with a lot of her neighbors. There was one neighbor she was unsure about. The house behind the Julie’s up on the hill had a woman that would stand on the balcony and glare at Julie. The woman also had access to see inside Julie’s house from the balcony right through the large sunroom windows. Quite frequently she would notice this woman’s strange behavior.

One day while Julie was talking with a contractor about building a pool, the strange neighbor came running up to Julie to introduce herself. Lynn Hennessy! (Just thinking her name UGH! GRRR!)

Julie and Lynn quickly became close friends. Julie found that she had quite a bit in common with Lynn. They both shared a common tragedy that allowed them to bond in a way no one else could understand.

After spending countless days and nights bonding with Lynn over a period of time, Julie discovers that a lot of the things Lynn has told her were lies. At first Julie was hurt for being lied to, but eventually she gave Lynn the benefit of the doubt and kept up their relationship. Olivia, Julie’s daughter was the first to see something was wrong with Lynn. Lynn starts to dress like Julie, buys the exact same car and even gets the same pool that Julie wanted. When Lynn’s lies start to get out of control, is when Julie decides to distance herself from Lynn. This is when the story really starts to gets horrifying.

***So stop reading my review and start reading this book!***

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March 7, 2011

Heartsick by Chelsea Cain

Goodreads Summary: When beautiful serial killer Gretchen Lowell captured her last victim - the very detective who was trying to hunt her down - she quickly established who was really in control of the investigation. So why, after 10 days of horrifying physical and mental torture, did she release Detective Archie Sheridan on the brink of death and hand herself in?

No one else will ever know what happened between Gretchen and Archie, and even with his tormentor serving life Archie remains both obsessed and driven by a mysterious, terrifying dynamic that was born during his time alone with her. One thing is clear - Archie does not believe he was ever truly freed.

Two years on Archie, shadowed by vulnerable, naive young reporter Susan Ward, must lead a new hunt for the 'after school killer', and he knows that one person can help him climb into the mind of this psychopath.

But are there links between these brutal deaths and Gretchen's own unthinkable past? And will this only give Gretchen an invitation to play puppeteer once more? In turns shocking and touching, this startling, compulsive debut introduces a complex psychopathic killer who will haunt your every waking hour long after you finish the last page...

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My Take: It was a nice change to pick up and read a murder mystery.

Archie Sheridan, a murder investigator is brought back to work after being on leave for 2 years. The 2 years prior, Archie had become a victim of a mass murderer Gretchen Lowell. Gretchen is a serial killer that Archie had been trying to find his entire career, giving her more of a reason to make sure he fell into her trap. Gretchen is now in prison but there is a new serial killer on the loose and the task force needs Archie's help.

Reading about how smart but demented and what a major sociopath Gretchen was, really made the story captivating. Chelsea Cain also did an amazing job at showing how an abuser can have power over their victim.

Throughout the book, the story went from the present serial killer investigation, then back to when Archie was held captive for 10 days by Gretchen.

Close to the end I was getting frustrated because I was thinking that the result was way too coincidental but the last chapter caught me completely off guard.

If you like murder mystery, this is a book I would recommend and I am looking forward to reading Sweetheart.

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Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Goodreads Summary: Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places - and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary - and neither is the demon inside of him...

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My Take: I am happy that Tiffany and Liz convinced me to come back to this series. This book was a lot better than the first. I am actually looking forward to reading the remaining books of this series.

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Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

Goodreads Summary: Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

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My Take:  Other than this was a really big book and it felt like it took me longer to read than I am used to, I really like this book.

I am used to reading books in the POV of a female character but this book was in a POV of a male character named Ethan.

Ethan’s town has surrounded their lives around the history going back to the Civil War. Nothing ever changes in Gatlin, no one moves out and no one moves in.

Lena is the new girl at school and she lives with her uncle Macon Ravenwood. “Old Man Ravenwood” is the talk of the town, he never leaves his house and the younger generation has never even seen him before. They refer to Macon’s house as haunted and no one even dares to drive up his street. His home is so old that it was one of the only houses in Gatlin that was not burned down during the Civil War.

Ethan has been having regular nightmares about a girls life he is trying to save but his dream is always cut short. The night he truly sees Lena for the first time, he realizes that she is the one in his dream.

I really liked this book and I am really looking forward to reading the next. I do believe that the book had way too much detail and at least 1/3 of the book could have been cut out and it would have still been a great book.

I am the type of reader that I usually read EVERY word until the very last. I found myself skipping through a lot of the detail in this book.

This is a book I would recommend reading because it was still a really good story.

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Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Goodreads Summary: Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.

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My Take: Another amazing book created by Suzanne Collins. My predictions for this book were completely wrong. I devoured this book in 2 days and I can't stop thinking about it. The emotions I got from this book are heartbreak, anxiety, shock and anger. There were a lot of parts in this book where I would get choked up or where tears would be rolling down my face. Even now, when I reflect on moments in the book, I get emotional and tear up.

Katniss is mentally broken from the destruction that she has caused by her actions. She is caught up in a roll that she didn't choose. One of her biggest challenges is she has to decide if she wants to keep up that roll to have a Revolution in Panem and to bring down the Capitol. She has a hard time deciding who she should trust. One thing I love about Katniss is when she is caught up in the moment, her actions are always smart and amazing.

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Dear followers, fans and peeps! Some of the books I review on Magical Urban Fantasy Reads are provided to me for free by either the publisher or author in exchange for my honest review. Please know that I am in NO WAY compensated for my reviews. All opinions are mine and I am not required to give a positive review in exchange for a free book! But some of the purchase links on my blog are monetized through places like Amazon, Book Depository or Barnes & Noble.