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?

 

Caster Chronicle Movie News!!!

If you've been a little busy like me, you might be a little behind, so allow me to share some amazing news with you if you haven't heard. We finally have a release date for Beautiful Creatures the movie!!! Warner Bros. has officially announced that the film is set to release February 1, 2013!!!

Not only do we have a release date, but apparently last week, actors have been cast to play Ethan and Lena!!! Let's see who they are and then discuss...

 Jack O'Connell as Ethan Wate

 Alice Englert as Lena Duchannes

 Viola Davis as Amma

 Emma Thompson as Mrs. Lincoln/Seraphine

Okay, discussion. I don't like the actor for Ethan. I don't see myself melting over him anytime soon but I guess I can hold out hope that he looks a little better for the movie. I think they picked a very good actress for Lena - I believe she really looks the part. Viola Davis for Amma I think is a mistake; she's a great actress, I just never pictured Amma looking like her. For Mrs. Lincoln, I'm not sure if I had a picture of her character in my head but Emma Thompson is a phenomenal actress and I believe she will play the part very well.

Richard LaGravenese, director and screenplay writer for movies such as P.S. I Love You and Water for Elephants, will be both for the Beautiful Creatures film. I'm liking the sound of this so far. Fingers crossed Casters!Whoo Hoo!

Caster Chronicles 2.5!!

Prepare yourself! On (or about) August 2, 2011, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers will be releasing Dream Dark, a prequel to the third and HIGHLY anticipated book in the Caster Chronicles, Beautiful Chaos in Kindle/ebook format only. 

 

Synopsis: When Link joined his best friend, Ethan Wate, on a quest through a mysterious network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, he knew the journey would be dangerous. But returning home to Gatlin, South Carolina was just the beginning... 

 

Wounded during a climactic battle, Link discovers that tending his injuries won't be as simple as visiting a doctor and that healing his arm should be the least of his worries. For being bitten by a Supernatural does more than break the skin -- it changes a person, inside and out, turning Link into someone more and more like the dark creature who injured him. 

 

In this never-before-seen short story by New York Times bestselling authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, readers witness Link's heart-racing transformation. Dream Dark is set before the much-anticipated third Beautiful Creatures novel, Beautiful Chaos, and as a special bonus includes an exclusive sneak peek at the first five chapters. 

 

I think it's amazing that they are giving this little tid-bit to us! Authors love to tease us and I, for one, am a sucker for punishment! I can't wait!

Happy Reading! 

Tuesday Review Day!

FINALLY!! I have finally finished this book and I have to explain that I honestly do not believe it was because of the story that it took me so long to finish (about two months). I've been so busy and preoccupied that I haven't been dedicating much time to my reading, which I hope to change soon. Anyway, I finished it, so here it is:

The Misfit of Supernatural High (Supernatural High Series)

Written by: Shawn C. Sproatt

Publication date: March 11, 2011

Released in Kindle and ebook

248 pages

3 stars 

Synopsis: 15-year-old Wanda Windsor is not the most popular student at Hecate High. In fact, amongst her fellow witches, the fairies, the shifters, the vampires, and the werewolves, she's one of the least popular students. However, she never thought anyone hated her enough to try attack her. During her sophomore year someone uses mind control on other students to force them to hurt Wanda, and she manages to just barely escape each attack. Wanda isn't sure who would want to hurt her, but she's fairly certain it has to do with the introverted new student who has visions of the future.

When she isn't dodging death, Wanda spends her time trying to pass Geometry, avoiding (unsuccessfully) the subject of boys, and getting into mischief with her friends.

My Review: Right from the start, things take off which I loved because that means no drawn out intro about scenery and character or history. Not that a background story isn't good, however in this case it wasn't particularly necessary.

Wanda (hate the name) is being attacked by unknown assailants and the suspense is held out until the very end. The first attack is right in the first chapter and it immediately gets your mind reeling with "whoddunit". The supernatural community created in this story is so detailed as they had a supernatural version of everything for everything; yet I had a hard time remembering who was who, who was what, and what was what. There were witches, vampires, fairies, werewolves, shifters and more. Equally difficult to remember were the different rules and taboos between all the different races. Not everyone felt that dating outside of your race was acceptable. Wanda and her small group of friends consisted of a witch, Wanda, a fairy, Ari, Dean was the group vampire, Lu is a shifter and Alec a werewolf. They are all fiercely loyal to each other. Although they are in high school, you can tell that Wanda is the last of her friends to mature. As far as characters go, some stuck out more than others, even though the characters were all consistent, as in frequently changing or new ones being introduced. One character in particular, Lu, I kept forgetting if she was a guy or a girl and if she was related to Alec (another main character) or if she was romantically interested in him.

For the story to take place in a supernatural high school and town, there really was not a lot of magic going on. There was a lot of description about places and things but not enough about events. At one point Wanda is teaching herself defensive spells and practicing them on her friends but we don't get to see what she's doing or even hear the spells she's casting. I think the mystery part of this story was well written but the paranormal part was lacking. The author mentions witches having 'familiars' as though it were everyday knowledge and I was already supposed to know what that meant. I didn't. Their purpose, their powers and the advantages of having one were still a mystery until very close to the end of the book where they came into play more, because Wanda had two familiars, which is rare and reserved for especially powerful witches.

What I didn't like was how clueless Wanda was at a lot of critical times in the story. I understand that when you are in the eye of the storm, it is easy to miss things but I still felt that she should have been able to figure some of these things out. She would blindly walk into traps without even considering the possibility that it was a trap in the first place. I found myself getting frustrated and yelling at Wanda, "Oh come on!"

The end result, the big secret, the big reveal or whatever you want to call it can only be described with one word: flat. I was all excited to find out who was behind this whole grand scheme (and what the grand scheme was since it was such a well guarded secret), but when everything was laid out before me, I was just left feeling like "That's it? That's what I waited for all this time?" The person behind it all was no surprise either. Introduced early in the story as a potential villain so you are already given the feeling that this person was going to be guilty in the end. There was a whole lot of misdirection to make the reader believe it really could be anyone else, but it wasn't, and I think it would have been better if it was a completely different character. It would have made all my detective work feel worth it.

The writing was riddled with typos and spelling errors. I don't necessarily blame it on the author but I'm pretty sure the editor missed a few things.

Overall: Even though I wasn't in love with this book I did like it a lot and I'm glad I finally finished it and I look forward to the sequel. There were a lot of unresolved issues like inter-racial/species couples being seriously frowned upon. Racism is intolerable, period, and I would like to see that aspect of the story changed in the next book. And what about Wanda and Patrick (potential love interest and vampire)? Are they going to finally admit their feelings for each other and be together? If Wanda really is strong enough to require two familiars than are we going to get to see her powers develop? Let's not forget about Rose and Stephanie, (school jerks) I'd really like to see Wanda put them in their place for good!

Witches in the Holy City is the beginning of a new series set to debut in ebook on June 28, 2011 with the hopes of a Mistfit sequel in July!

Click here to visit Shawn C. Sproatt's blog.

Happy Reading!

Clockwork Cover and Secret Circle on TV!

So, have you heard? The CW has picked up 'The Secret Circle' for the fall season! It will air Thursdays after 'Vampire Diaries'. You can click this link to watch trailers. If you haven't read this series, like me, here's the synopsis:

The circle's power has lured her home.

Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie longs for her old life. Even so, she feels a strange kinship to a terrifying group of teens who seem to rule her school. Initiated into the coven of witches that's controlled New Salem for hundreds of years, she's drawn into the Secret Circle, a thrill that's both intoxicating and deadly. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, Cassie must choose whether to resist temptation or risk dark forces to get what she wants—even if it means that one wrong move could ultimately destroy her. 

I've been seeing the same question going around the internet these days:  

Are Witches Cooler Than Vampires? 

In my personal opinion, no. However, after watching the trailer for Secret Circle, I think they might be just as cool! Most vampires are indestructible, they're all super-human fast, some can fly and they're usually smoking hot - if you're reading the right book, that is! Downside - the whole blood thing. Ick. Witches, on the other hand, if strong enough, can cast some pretty powerful spells, or control the elements. Downside - there is usually a physical price the witch must pay, i.e. bloody noses, blackouts, near-death. Thoughts?


As promised, the cover for The Clockwork Prince has been revealed this month!

 

THAT, is an amazing cover! I still have not read Clockwork Angel so this cover has no deep meaning to me yet, but I still love it. It makes me want to try CA again. And I've got plenty of time too, because this sequel is not due to release until December 6th!

Tuesday Review Day!

I always try to keep my reviews spoiler-free as much as possible. However, I do not think it is possible with this book. You were warned.

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles, #2)

Written by: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Publication date: October 12, 2010

Released in Hardcover, 503 pages

Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers

5 stars

Synopsis: Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen. 

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

My Review: First, some honesty. I could not remember anything that happened in Beautiful Creatures (my review here). I always had to ask my friend to remind me of the story because I would always mesh with other books I read. I didn't hate the book, I did enjoy it I just wasn't in love with it. I didn't really care for Lena (or her name and the fact that Ethan likes to call her L) and I didn't really care for Ethan as narrator. I knew when the sequel was released I was going to buy it because, let's be honest, I already have the first one and can't have an incomplete series on my shelf! So when it was released I bought it but I let my bestie read it first because she was way more excited about it than I was at the time and she's been nagging me to read it ever since. It wasn't working. I just wasn't in the mood for it - my expectations were low. However, when the cover and title for the third book of the Caster Chronicles were revealed, I started to get more and more in the mood for BD. As soon as I started flipping pages, I knew I wasn't stopping.

My memories of Beautiful Creatures came rushing back immediately and I was instantly in love with Ethan! I think BC threw me off with a male narrator but he's actually a great one. I find it strange yet intriguing when authors decide not to use the supernatural being in the book as the narrator - we miss out on all the magic that Lena can do and what happens to her when she wields this magic. But I understand that leaving that stuff out only adds to the mystery of the story.

After Lena's Uncle Macon dies in exchange for Ethan's life, she just can't pull her life back together. Lena was a spectacle and all I could do was sit back and watch! She became unpredictable, acting on whims and out of character. Acting out against the people of Gatlin. Poor Ethan was just another spectator and no longer part of the team. Her eyes turning more and more golden by the day. Enter "Caster Boy" John Breed. Mysterious half-Caster, half-Incubus, total dick.  His green Caster eyes say "friendly" but everything else screams "danger"! He comes into the picture literally out of nowhere and is all of a sudden Lena's BFF with Ridley in tow. Whispering into Lena's ear and protecting her like he's the new Boyfriend. I think towards the end of the book we were supposed to start feeling sorry for him or begin to suspect that he might not be as bad as we think. I don't care. I don't want to end up liking him, I don't want him on our side. I want him to rip back to wherever the hell he came from. I think I got a little more jealous for Ethan's sake than he did!

There were so many elements to this book, so many secrets that came to light that they're swirling in my head as I try to decide which to focus on! Okay, I knew all along that Lucille was a Caster Cat from the first vision Ethan had while looking through her eyes! Very cool. Macon and Ethan's mom were in love?!?! Whoa, I did not see that coming and I don't really know how I feel about it. And why didn't anyone think to use the Arclight on John Breed?

For a little while, I was suspicious of Olivia. I thought she might turn out to be someone or something else. Even up until the end when Macon kept giving her these strange looks. And oh yeah, Macon's still alive. I'm really glad they didn't kill him off because I believe he is too important to the story to have died in the first book! Glad to have him back. Back to Olivia. I was worried about her and Ethan, I thought for just a second that he might actually give up on Lena and start dating her. But calling Olivia L (short for Liv)? Oh, hell no! Ridley took it easy on him when she caught him calling her that.

There was definitely too much awesomeness in this book to put into my own words. I thought it was cool that Ethan turned out to be a Wayward even though he doesn't have any powers and it doesn't help with the whole near-death thing when him and Lena touch for too long. This, is what I did not like: Ridley losing her powers. What is she now? Mortal, yes I know, but really, she's nothing. They have to find a way to bring her powers back. I'll miss the lollipops and the chaos they cause! What I really didn't like was what happened to Link. At the end when everyone is fighting for their lives, John Breed grabs Link by the neck and bites him! Didn't I tell you? Total dick. Now Link is part-Caster, part-Incubus, part-Evo. WTF? I blame it on Leah. She joined the party right before the ass-kicking part started and she was all gun-ho, bad-ass. As the only supernatural fighting on our side at the time, I kinda felt like she should have protected them a little more. But it seemed she got her first taste of blood and forgot all about them because the Mortals went in to fight off a pack of Blood Incubi without her. If she was there playing her part, Link would have never gotten bitten. Just saying. I'm sure his cool new powers will be of much help in the rest of the story and I do kinda look forward to that.

This is not one of those books that you can't find a "good place to stop" so you can take a bathroom break or eat or sleep because every page, every paragraph is full of suspense. You can't wait to find out what is going to happen next.

Expected publication date for Beautiful Chaos is October 18, 2011!!! You're gonna have to get in line because I'm getting mine first!

Blogoversary Giveaway Winner!

And the winner is.....

Maegan @ A Modern Bard

She has won the book of her choice! Congratulations Maegan! I have contacted Maegan and she has 48 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.


And in case you've missed it, the title of book three in the Caster Chronicles was released - Beautiful Chaos - and now, so has the cover!

I love it! I love that all the covers have the same dark background and the title is the only thing that changes color. I'm reading Beautiful Darkness right now so I'm wondering if the gold lettering is any indication of what's to come!

Expected release date: October 18, 2011

I'm also including my IMM from this week. This week I received the following:

These books were not sent to me for review but purchased by my special someone and sent to me! =]

Caster Chronicles Book Three Title Reveal!!!!!!

Yesterday, Margaret Stohl revealed on the Beautiful Creatures website, the title of the third book in the Caster Chronicles series!

Beautiful Chaos 

Isn't it just...amazing, intriguing and full of promise?? I LOVE it. I have to be honest, I haven't read Beautiful Darkness yet, although I do need to choose my next read...

Ready for more? The cover will be revealed Thursday, March 3rd @ 3pm EST on MTV Hollywood Crush! Click here or the link above to go to the Beautiful Creatures website for more details.

Also on the website, there is talk about "the Beautiful Creatures & series movie adaptation"! I don't know where I was when this information was released because I had no idea? Exclusive news on that will be released with the cover.

Any fans of the Drake Chronicles by Alyxandra Harvey? If you're answer was no and you're about to skip this part, I implore you, to please read these books! They are so addictive! I just came across the title of the fourth book in the Drake Chronicles, it's...wait. I should present it like the title above right? I mean, it's only fair. Okay, ready...

Bleeding Hearts

It's set to release November, 2011! I can't wait!

So maybe you're not all Drake fans but I know, I KNOW you guys are Mortal Instruments fans! That being said, remember the end of City of Glass, Jace leaves a letter for Clary before he goes out on a dangerous mission? Have you been wondering what he wrote in that letter? Well one way to find out is to purchase your copy of City of Fallen Angels from Barnes & Noble. They, and only they, will be selling copies of COFA with the Jace's letter inside! Click here fore more info.

See the sticker below?

Pretty cool huh? Even though promoting B&N makes me feel like a total trader to Borders. 

Can a girl love both? Time will tell.