Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Tuesday Review Day!

Written by: Lesley Livingston
Publication date: December 21, 2010 by HarperTeen
Released in Hardcover, paperback, Kindle, ebook
368pgs

5 Stars

Synopsis: "I don't love Sonny Flannery." 

That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.

But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.

The intrigue and romance that began with Wondrous Strange and Darklight come to a stormy head in Tempestuous, the breathtaking conclusion to Lesley Livingston's ravishing urban Faerie trilogy.

My Review: Once again, Sonny and Kelley are not with each other; Kelley lied and said she didn't love Sonny at the end of Darklight in order to get Sonny to leave. This was supposed to protect him from his inner Green Magick to which Kelley seems to trigger. So now Sonny's in one place and Kelley in another. She won't tell anyone what's going on in fear that his secret will get out and someone will try to kill him. It was kind of annoying that I had to wait for the recap in the next book to fully understand what happened in the previous one. I found that sometimes in this series when things would come to light, mostly at the end of the book, it wasn't really laid out or explained well enough that I was absolutely sure what happened. Maybe it's just me, but Kelley seems to be overreacting about Sonny's...uh...outburst in the Avalon Theater. I mean, he killed that bad guys. It's what he does for a living. Where's the problem?




There's a lot of temptation going on in this book directed at both Sonny and Kelley. Their physical separation and Sonny believing Kelley really never loved him; is creating room for others to slip in between them. With little struggle, they have to often remind themselves of their love for each other. You know I love a good love-triangle, but this guy, The Fennrys Wolf, is just WRONG! He's so sneaky! Here's what I'm wondering: Why did Sonny Flannery get such a weak name and Fennrys got such a bad boy name like the Wolf? Yeah, yeah, I know, the whole Irish background and all. Speaking of which, I really need to work on my Irish brogue because I think it was coming out (in my head, of course) kind of Scottish.

This was a tricky, twisty plot and everywhere you turn, you don't know who to trust! Or you know who you can't trust and you're screaming at the pages wishing you could warn the characters. There was a surprise at the end that I REALLY didn't see coming. I don't think I liked it. But I loved the book as a whole; the people, the places, all of it.

Overall: Tons of romance, lots of faerie magick wielding and twists and turns. If you like faeries mixed in with humans, as they so often are, this is a must read!

 

Monday, March 26, 2012

GIVEAWAY - Enter Before It's Too Late!

Hello Lovelies!

Don't forget, this is the last week to enter my March 2012 New Release Giveaway!




Follow the link or the picture for full details but here's the gist of it: leave a comment and if you win, I will buy you any March 2012 new release of YOUR CHOICE! But please read the details before entering.

The giveaway ends Saturday, March 31st at 11:59 p.m. EST and the winner will be announced the next day.

So hurry and enter before it's too late! Good Luck!


Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday Movie!!


Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming books that readers are dying to get their hands on, but this week it's a YA movie that I can't wait for!




If you're excited about this too, you have to READ THIS before you go any further!

Did you read it? Awesome, right? I know. Harald Zwart sounds like an amazing director and I'm starting to get good feelings about this flick! I LOVE this series so naturally I'm really hoping they do it right. The production team has a lot of work to do and even more expectations to live up to.





I'm not sure who those other guys are but this looks like a pretty good cast to me! As we all know by now, so far only Lily Collins has been cast to play Clary Fray. Personally, I think Alex Pettyfer is the only man that could be Jace. I think Jamie Campbell Bower is too young in the face and doesn't do back-off-I'm-dangerous very well either.

This is him in New Moon as Caius; just one of the most (supposed) ruthless in the Volturi coven. I'm sorry but...I'm just not buying it. This look doesn't say "fear me"; it says "Meow. Grr baby, yeah!" - say that in you're Austin Powers voice and you got it.

I want Jace's actor to strike me as someone that I need to keep an eye on and at the same time, someone I can't take my eyes off!







So yeah, that's what I'm waiting for. You?


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Tuesday Review Day!

Written by: Lesley Livingston
Publication date: December 2, 2009 by HarperTeen
Released in Hardcover, paperback, Kindle and ebook
310pgs

4 Stars

Synopsis: Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt.

Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.

When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power.

Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.

With breathtakingly high stakes, the talented Lesley Livingston delivers soaring romance and vividly magical characters in Darklight, the second novel in the trilogy that began with Wondrous Strange.

My Review: Within the connection Sonny and Kelley have, a ton of lies are woven; those told to them and by them. Her parents have been keeping secrets and secrets have even been kept from them. When a stranger attacks Kelley in Central Park all hell breaks loose when Kelley opens a rift that drops her and the Fennrys Wolf in the Otherworld.

Sonny and Kelley are a really cute couple but because of the danger that surrounds them both, they spend a lot of time apart. This leaves Kelley spending plenty of one on one time with the Wolf. No bueno.

Some of the other characters come into play in this book but the Puck here is SO not the Puck I knew in the Iron Fey! THAT Puck would never run from a fight! Queen Mabh is another character we get to see more of in this sequel. I've always known Mabh to be the frigid Ice Queen of Winter but in this faery tale, she is the Queen of Autumn...and not so very frigid. I'm not quite sure what to make of her yet, but I'm keeping a close eye on her! I do not trust Auberon as far as I could throw him - and as a mortal I'm sure that wouldn't be far at all. I don't trust the Summer Queen, Titiana, either. I've learned enough not to trust a faery who appears to be trustworthy. Especially the royal ones. I'm pretty sure Titiana is the one who started this whole thing in the first place, from blowing Mabh's war horn to everything else.


This sequel was equally exciting as the first. So many twists and turns and reveals it makes your head spin! plus, while truths are coming to light, the fact that we still don't know half of what's going on is also revealed. I wish there was more I could tell you but I'm afraid I might spoil something. So just know that it was AWESOME and a MUST-READ!

Overall: I was very disappointed with the ending and I'm counting on Tempestuous to rectify the wrongs made in Darklight.

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming books that readers are dying to get their hands on.

This week it is...

 RELEASE DATE OCTOBER 23



Confession: I have not read Beautiful Chaos yet but I fully intend to; I just haven't gotten around to it. Although this will be the last book in the series, we still have the Beautiful Creatures movie to look forward to - set to come to theaters March 13, 2013!

 No synopsis has been released yet for Beautiful Redemption but I'll be sure to keep and eye out for it!

Are you waiting for anything special?

 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Tuesday Review Day!

Hey guys; this review was accidentally erased when I tried to publish it from my iPad - which I will never attempt to do again, grrr - so it's a little short since I had to rewrite it unexpectedly. Sorry about that. Still, don't let that take away from the book, because it was awesome!

Written by: Lesley Livingston
Publication date: September 20, 2008
Released in Paperback, hardcover, Kindle, ebook by HarperTrophyCanada
336pgs

5 Stars

Synopsis: 17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks... 

In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye

My Review: I love that Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream is incorporated into this story because that includes Puck - which reminds me of the Iron Fey! That makes me happy =] Then I find out that the main character Kelley, moved to New York City from the Catskills - which is where I live! So even though I hate that her name is Kelley and think she should've been named Emma instead of her Aunt; I forgive that because of her hometown. Lol. I hate Sonny's name even more though.

I really like Kelley. No, I mean really like her. She is completely believable; so much so that she reminds me a lot of myself - outspoken and sarcastic. What I liked most about her is that it didn't take long for her to accept the whole faerie thing. We didn't have to waste a lot of time trying to convince her of their existence and her being one of them.

Sonny is a very likeable character as well. He struggles to fulfill his duty as a Janus Guard and stay away from the puzzle of a read head he just happened to come across in Central Park.

I'm not really sure I know the storyline exactly. I get what's going on but the intricacies are confusing. The whos, the whats and the whys. I kept getting mixed up.

Overall: The climax was so suspenseful, nail-biting! The book is full of great characters who's whole story you can't wait to find out!


Monday, March 12, 2012

NEW RELEASE TWO YEAR BLOGOVERSARY GIVEAWAY!

So, I knew this was going to happen. Nobody wants to enter a giveaway for some classic Buffy the Vampire Slayer paperbacks and swag. That's alright. I see how it is.

So what I've decided to do is a little giveaway change-up. I'll run one giveaway instead of four for the rest of the month - the one that I was going to do the last week of March.

For this giveaway, you will have the chance to win ANY new release from the month of March 2012. If you're name is picked, I will personally purchase the new release of YOUR CHOICE, and have it sent directly to you. But you know, hey, if you don't want to enter and save me some money; that's cool, too.



Here's how to play:

1. US residents only
2. You must be a follower (old or new)
3. You must leave an insightful comment on any post you like
(Official entry)
4. Like my FB page +1
5. Follow me on Twitter +1
6. Spread the word a tweet +1
7. Spread the word with a blog post +2

Your insightful comment is your official entry for the giveaway and please note that "Thanks for the giveaway" will NOT be counted as insightful. All the other ones are optional to gain extra entries. If you do choose to spread the word be sure to include links and your email address with your comment.

This giveaway will end Saturday, March 31st at 11:59pm EST; and winners will be announced and contacted the following day.

Now come on, there has got to be at least one new release coming out this month that you'd love to get your hands on!

Don't forget, it's...


...so enter below! Good luck!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Feature & Follow Friday

 
This is my first Feature & Follow Friday! I hope you enjoy it!
 
Have you ever looked at a book's cover and thought, This is going to be horrible! but was instead pleasantly surprised?  Show us the cover and tell us about the book.


It was really hard for me to find a book with a cover that I didn't love because I am guilty of judging books by their covers. I don't usually even pick up a book if I don't love the cover. This book was actually sent to me by the author to review and it turned out to be a great coming of age story. This is usually not my cup of tea - which is why I chose this cover - because I always go for the book with at least one supernatural being of some kind. However, I was pleasantly surprised with this book and if I remember correctly, there was even a moment when I cried a little. Although the situations are not the same it was a great self-reflection, coming-of-age story!


What's yours?


Thursday, March 8, 2012

Weigh In: Emmy Rossum as Ridley

So what do you guys think about the casting of Emmy Rossum as Ridley in the Beautiful Creatures film?

Now don't get me wrong, Rossum is a beautiful girl and a great actress, I just don't think she fits the part of Ridley. She doesn't really look at all how I pictured the lollipop-sucking troublemaker and I hope they plan to dye her hair a lighter color and give her some bad-ass lessons so she can live up to the title.




Now, I don't know who this young lady to my left is with half a face but from what I can see she makes a better looking Ridley than Rossum does. I gotta be honest, I'm already a little worried about the Beautiful Creatures movie because I don't agree with their casting choices so far. I guess I can always keep my fingers crossed that their acting will make up for none of them physically fitting the part.



Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming books that readers are dying to get their hands on. This week I chose the third installment of the Lorien Legacies...


The Rise of Nine doesn't have a cover yet...or a synopsis, but that doesn't make me what it any less! I love this series, John Smith and the way Power of Six ended, I can't wait to find out what happens next! What are the others like? Will Sam ever get the girl? This series is the perfect summer read with a release date of AUGUST 21ST.

What are you waiting on this week?

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Tuesday Review Day!

Written by: Melissa Marr
Publication date: February 22, 2011
Released in Hardcover, paperback, Kindle, ebook, Audio CD
327pgs

5 stars

Synopsis: The Summer King is missing; the Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen, is about to make a mistake that could cost his life.

Love, despair, and betrayal ignite the Faery Courts, and in the final conflict, some will win . . . and some will lose "everything." 

The thrilling conclusion to Melissa Marr's "New York Times" bestselling Wicked Lovely series will leave readers breathless.

My Review: I was so anxious to get to this book because I knew all the stories would be told at once and we would get to hear from everyone; like Donia, whom we haven't seen since Fragile Eternity. At this point in the story, everything is a mess! War is threatening all the courts, Keenan is missing, things are looking pretty bad - to say the least. And Niall? All I can say about Niall is, "Niall, Niall, Niall." SMH. If I said more than that I'd spoil it for you.

Okay, maaybe I shouldn't have jumped on the "Team Seth" band wagon so quickly because I am completely on Keenan's side. The last couple of books I began to feel the pull toward the other side but this one really did me in! Maybe I connect with Keenan or feel for him more because I a Summer baby and I love everything Summer - or perhaps that's me just trying to justify me switching teams. And it's not that I like Seth any less but I do agree he gets in the way of the court.

Even though I give this book a high rating, it did not have the ending I would have preferred. I knew by book 2 or 3 that it wasn't going to but I guess for many others it ended perfectly.

the mortals that get involved with these faeries  become so inducted into that world that it's as if they were never mortals. For example, Donia and Aislinn. They didn't just become faeries and then sent on their merry way to go frolic in the fields or have snowball fights. No, they were made into faeries that held important positions - Winter Girl and Summer Queen. There are more examples but I won't ruin the surprise!

Overall: I laughed, I cringed, I was shocked and I cried. Literally. I absolutely adore this series! Plus, I cannot wait to read Melissa Marr's Faery Tales & Nightmares!


Dangerous promises and beguiling threats swirl together in a dozen stories of enchantments dark and light by New York Times bestselling author Melissa Marr. Uncanny and unexpected creatures appear from behind bushes, rise from beneath the seas, or manifest from seasonal storms to pursue the objects of their attention—with amorous or sinister intent—relentlessly.

From the gentle tones of a storyteller’s cadences to the terror of a blood sacrifice, tales of favorite characters from Marr’s Wicked Lovely novels mix with accounts of new characters for readers to fall in love with...or to fear.

Lush, seductive, and chilling, Melissa Marr’s stories revel in the unseen magic that infuses the world as we know it.



Monday, March 5, 2012

Blogoversary Giveaway #1!!!!


What a year! Juggling blogging, going back to college and my hyper-active four-year old has made for tons of stress and hair pulling but what I think I've really learned about blogging this year is that no matter how crazy, hectic or mad things get, I could never let go of my wonderful blog and followers! And it's you guys that I would like to celebrate this month with a major Buffy the Vampire Slayer giveaway with a surprise giveaway at the end of the month!

So let's get with the giving away, shall we? There's going to be a lot up for grabs so I'll try to make it easy to understand. I have 17 Buffy paperbacks with Buffy swag to give away all month long. The last week of March will be a surprise giveaway that you will just have to come back to find out what it is!

Starting today, there will be one new giveaway each week ending March 31st. Winners will be announced at the end of each week on Sundays. So there are FOUR giveaways total. Oh, and each giveaway will have three prizes and three winners. Confused yet? So am I. The easiest way to find out what I'm giving away will be to check in each week on Monday to find out! Hopefully the first one will show how it's done.

GIVEAWAY #1


First Prize
Sins of the Father by Christopher Golden
Revenant by Mel Odom
Pillow with Buffy on one side and Buffy with Angel on the other (still in plastic)








Second Prize
Buffy/Angel: The Burning, Unseen Trilogy #1 Nancy Holder and Jeff Mariotte
Immortal Christopher Golden and Nancy Holder
Plus Buffy comic book featuring Willow and Tara





Third Prize
by Alyxandra Harvey










Open to US residents only. Sorry international, but shipping can cost an arm and a leg these days!

TO ENTER:
1. You must be a follower (old or new)
2. You must leave a comment on any post (no comment - no entry)
"Thanks for the giveaway" will NOT count as an entry
3. Spread the word with a tweet (+1 entry)
4. Spread the word with a blog post (+2 entry)

I try not to ask for much when it comes to entering because I don't want to make you work for me, I work for you! However, spreading the word would be EXTREMELY appreciated! Extra entries will be given for doing so, therefore increasing your chances to win something. Don't forget to include your email address with your comment so I can contact you if you win. And if you don't see anything you like, the last week of March (3/26-3-31), everyone will have a chance to win a new release! What new release you ask? You'll have to come back to find out!

Good luck everyone and thanks for entering!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Popluar Theme - Love Triangles!

What is it about a good love triangle that just keeps us turning the pages, picking "teams" and falling in love with one and admonishing the other? It's because they're just so juicy, aren't they? We love debating why we picked who we picked and why the other sucks and doesn't deserve the girl (or guy).

I've noticed that there are love triangles in just about every book I read. Sometimes they're subtle; like the one in the middle doesn't even have feelings for the third wheel. Other times, we watch a character go back and forth and fight with their feelings for two people.

I thought it'd be fun to take a look at a few well known love-triangle threesomes!

1. Let's get the obvious one out of the way - Twilight.This triangle worked so well because Bella had genuine feelings for Jacob even though she was in love with Edward. She knew Jacob had a place in her life, she just didn't know where he fit. Plus, Edward and Jacob are both totally loveable so as readers, it's even hard for us to pick a side!



2. Peter Pan - Wendy - Tinkerbell.
This one is a little tricky. Peter Pan and Tink have been together, well, always, but then he finds Wendy and brings her home! Naturally, Tink ain't having that so she plots against them with Captain Hook to get rid of Wendy. Hey, "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned"; am I right?! =]



3. Vampire Diaries
Now this one is my favorite! I've always liked Stefan but due to recent events; such as his "Ripper" days coming back to haunt him and his loss of humanity, I'm really feeling Elena being with Damon. Now, I know it will never happen but I also know she loves them both! And all those little moments she has with Damon - especially their kiss - are just so damn delicious, I can't bear to miss a second!


4. True Blood
Okay, this threesome gets me all kinds of crazy! I simply love Sookie and Eric together but in the show, the way she holds on to her feelings for Bill and keeps Eric at arms length drives me absolutely nuts!! I want the show to go exactly as the book did so each episode I end up holding my breath til the very end!




Here are some other love triangles that I just love:

5. Seth, Aislinn and Keenan from Wicked Lovely. It didn't turn out the way I had hoped but I still loved every minute of it!

6. Sonny, Kelley and The Fennrys Wolf from Wondrous Strange. This one wasn't a hard decision but there was that moment when I think we all thought she might be persuaded to go in another direction!

7. Adrian, Rose and Dimitri from Vampire Academy. For me, this was a no-brainer but Rose really had us going for while there, didn't she? I'm just glad she came to her senses; and so did Dimitri! Phew!

8. Ash, Meghan and Puck from The Iron Fey. This was such a sweet love story although I did feel pretty bad for Puck. Waiting around all that time and then she falls in love with someone else! Man, that's messed up! The only thing that bugged me was that Meghan and Ash fell in love in a matter of days with very little romance. But hey, it all worked out I guess. Well, maybe with the exception of Puck ending up alone!
9. Last but certainly not least, Tamani, Laurel and  David from Wings. This story isn't over yet so Laurel still hasn't picked her man. But I tell you this, if she doesn't pick Tam I will be HIGHLY disappointed! Okay, that might be an understatement - I'll be PISSED!!! I finally got my BFF to read this series and she is Team Tam all the way!! I can not wait for Destined May 1st, 2012 to find out what happens! It's too far away!
I know there are a ton of great love triangles out there, so feel free to comment with some of your faves!


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