Blog Tour - Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

When Nicole from the Book Reporter asked me if I wanted to be a part of the "Hex Hall" Blog Tour, I jumped on the chance. As you all know, I have a huge affinity for YA, especially the paranormal. So, this was a pretty big chance for me. Unfortunately, I have been on a blogging break for the last 5 weeks, for personal reasons. But now I am back, and I'm ready to get started again!!

Felicia was crying in the bathroom. Again. I knew it was her because in the three months I'd been going to Green Mountain High, I'd already seen Felicia crying in the bathroom twice. She had a really distinctive sob, high and breathy like a little kids, even though Felicia was eighteen, two years older than me. I'd left her alone before, figuring it was ever girl's right to cry in a public bathroom from time to time. But tonight was prom night and there was something really sad about sobbing in formal wear.

Sophie Mercer discovered at the age of 12 she was a witch. It was at that time she came in to her powers. And it was pretty confusing for Sophie. Apparently, her father was a European Warlock, and she inherited his powers. But Sophie had never even met her dad. Her mother had a relationship with him until she found out about the whole warlock "thing", then ran screaming for the hills. But she was pregnant at the time. Now, he was a part of the "Council", or governing body for the Prodigium, and he kept tabs on Sophie in that way.

But a runaway "love spell" at Sophie's last high school is the final straw and the Council decides to send her to Hecate (or "Hex") Hall, which happens to be a reform school for Prodigium, including witches, faeries, and shape shifters. Here she will learn more about her powers and how to use them without Humans knowing. Because in the world today, there are people that want to see all Prodigium annihilated. Especially the group called L'Occhio di Dio, or "The Eye of God". For centuries, this offshoot of the Knights Templar have been killing Prodigium....and not in nice ways.

But when Sophie gets to Hex Hall, she realizes that living with her human mother has kept her sheltered from who she really is. Not growing up with Prodigium, she really has no idea about anything. And her first week at Hex Hall is anything but great. She immediately falls for the "hottest" guy in school, a warlock named Archer. Then she makes enemies with the 3 other dark witches who approach Sophie to join their coven. They just happen to be the prettiest and most popular girls in school. A weird ghost seems to be following her around. AND her roommate is the biggest outcast around: the school's only vampire.

I have to say I was really looking forward to reading this book. The last few months my reading has been really kept to a minimum, and I love a good YA book. Hex Hall and Rachel Hawkins did not disappoint!! What a great book!! I loved the story. I loved the characters. Sophie is so funny and sassy. With one foot in the human world and one foot in the Prodigium world, she is doing her best to find her way AND do the right things. Archer, although his motives are a bit suspect, is snarky as hell. And Jenna, the vampire-roommate, is tough. Not only is she forever destined to be 16, she loves the color pink, is cute and sweet, AND the only real friend Sophie has ever had.

But learning about the Prodigium is second to the mystery that surrounds Hex Hall. There is a series of murders/attacks on witches that makes reading this book even more fun! Of course, there is the whole "I'm-going-to-be-a-trilogy-and-this-is-just-a-taste-of-what's-to-come" thing that happens at the end of the book. *Sigh* It seems today there are far too few stand-alone books anymore. BUT I know for a fact that I'm super-excited about reading the next installment...just as soon as Rachel Hawkins publishes it!! If you like a fun, exciting bit of YA/paranormal fun, I totally recommend Hex Hall!!! 4.5/5


AND I have this snazzy Hex Hall T-shirt to giveaway!! Isn't it fun?? If you'd like a chance to win it, just leave me a comment. I'll contact the winner for a size next week when I draw!! (For the record, I got one myself. And it's cute as can be!) Good luck!!

A Long Week of Good Stuff

See? It's not always doom and gloom over here!! This week, there will be no whining or rantings. Just a rundown of the last week, and it's been a pretty good one!!

Last Wednesday was my birthday. I don't usually mention it. I hate the idea of getting older. It's not so much the number that bothers me anymore. As far as I'm concerned, age is just a state of mind. You are only as old as you feel. Trouble is, I'm starting to FEEL old. I'm on my feet alot more with all the hours I'm putting in at the restaurant. And my knees have been bothering me a bit. My shoulder seems to be taking a long time to actually heal up. I know it's because I'm getting "older". Sucks, that's for sure.

But this was a pretty great birthday. I had to work a double on my the actual day, and I woke up to sound of someone banging on my door. As I staggered down the stairs in my Jammie's, I found the most gorgeous flower arrangement sitting on the steps. Yellow roses and all sorts of pretty yellow flowers (I have no idea what they are called. Wish I had taken a picture now) in a beautiful vase. All from the wonderful Michelle @ Michelle's Masterful Musings....one of my very best blogging friends. Such a sweetie!! My co-workers decided it would be fun to torment me by singing all night. They even made me a cake. It was just nice that no one forgot. I got a check in the mail from my parents that was way over the top. All in all a great day even though I worked most of it. We had planned on celebrating with the family later on in the weekend, since I didn't have to work then.

A few weeks back I won tickets to a concert that was on Friday night. It was 3 Days Grace, Breaking Benjamin and Flyleaf. Bands that I like ok, but nothing I'd really bend over backwards to see. HOWEVER, 3 Days Grace is Chad's favorite band. So, plans were made for him to go to the concert with my nephew. Nic is 17, and I'd be pretty comfortable with the two boys at the Civic Center (Chad's only 13). Besides, the Red Cross is literally one block from there. I'd be able to drop them off and make sure they got home ok. Unfortunately, the day before the concert I find out that Nic was home with a horrible fever and a bad case of the flu. So, I took Chad instead. I would have loved to do it in the first place, but I know 13-year-olds. Figured he wouldn't want to go with his "old" mom. Of course, with no other options, he was stuck. BUT, we had a great time. Apparently, I'm not TOO uncool. I knew most of the songs, and free tickets aside, they were 2nd row in the lower bowl. Fantastic seats. I bought him a cool hat. Sang songs. Had a blast.

Sunday, the girls had their first basketball game. 2nd - 4th graders. Not very experienced. But we won 15 - 9. Bella scored a basket and Ana played a fantastic defensive game. The coach even told the other girls if they all played like Ana, they'd be winning by 40 points! She tied up another player at least 5 times for jump balls, and hustled her little butt off. I'm such a proud mama!! Then we went back to my in laws for my "birthday" party, complete with balloons, dinner, a red velvet cake (my favorite) and presents. Mike got me the coolest Jack Skellington hoodie and tote bag (huge Nightmare Before Christmas fan), some Ed Hardy sneaks, and a Ramones tote. My in-laws got me some good smelly bath stuff, money, and flannel PJ's. And the kids actually spent their own money to get a present. They seem to know me better than anyone. They got me a book. And not just any book, but Under the Dome by Stephen King. Yeah. THEY know me well. Ana and Bella even wrote me stories and drew me gorgeous pictures. All in all a fantastic birthday!!

Since Monday was a holiday, I took the kiddies out to spend Christmas gift cards at the mall. Fun!! And finally, ending up a great weekend, I woke up this morning to 4 books in the mail. I'm really haven't been doing a lot of ARC's lately. I'm been trying to weed through the lists. I have a backlog of books to read anyway, and I hate committing to something if I don't have the time. BUT, I was pretty excited to hear about these:







I love a good thriller. I haven't read a book by Dekker before, but I've heard good things. The Bride Collector is being released in April, and I can't wait to dig in to this one!!







I've read both of Joe Hill's books, and am extremely excited about his new book, Horns. It will be released on Febrary 16 (my dad's birthday!). I love a good scary story, and Hill being Stephen King's son has it in his blood!!








I don't read a lot of "Chick Lit" or Women's Contemporary Fiction any more. But Nicole from The Book Reporter has been extremely good to me, and when she asked if I'd review this, I said yes. I've reviewed a couple of Kristin Hannah's books for them, and I've enjoyed each one. Figured Winter Garden would be just as good. It is set to be released on Feb 2nd, so look for this review soon.





SO excited about this one. I actually squealed when I read Nicole's email asking me to take part in this blog tour. And another squeal when I got the book this morning!! Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins in the first in a series about a reform school for "wayward Prodigiums" IE, witches, faeries, shape shifters, etc. SO much fun!! The book is being released on March 2. Will let you all know blog tour dates soon!!



That's it for me. I have a couple of books to review this week: Breathers by S. G. Browne and The Astonishing Adventures of Fanboy and Goth Girl by Barry Liga. Also, will be reviewing Couldn't Keep it to Myself. And maybe a Library Loot post too. Till then, happy reading!!

Library Loot, a Couple of ARC's and a Cheerleader....Again!

Every since our library system went online, I've been grabbing books left and right. It is just so easy to log on to the system, look up the books that I'm interested in, and click that little button that says "hold". Now, each week, one of the friendly librarians call me and say my holds have come in. I have books waiting for me. When I had to ask someone to order the books for me, I had far fewer ILL books checked out. Sometimes, I think that would be better. I'm not the quickest reader these days. Just not enough time. And yet, I still have over 40 books checked out from the library!! Crazy, I tell you. Just crazy!

But some are must have's. Others are whims. And some, I've been waiting on for awhile. So without further adieu, this week's library loot:

First and foremost, is The Ask and the Answer by Patrick Ness. I debated for about a minute on requesting this book. It's the sequel to The Knife of Never Letting Go. But as much as I want to read this one, I'm worried that I'll be even more uptight once I finish. I mean, what will I do till the trilogy is finished??? How will I ever sleep at night?? But, in the end, I couldn't wait. Had to order it right away.

Make Lemonade by Virginia Euwer Wolff is actually book 1 in a trilogy of books. Because book 2 is on the list of Michael Printz Award books, I figured I'd better read Book 1 first! It is one of my big quests to read every book on this list by the end of next year!

The Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko is a books about vampires. It is a Russian book that is the first in a series. I'm reading it A. for the Orbis Terrarum challenge and B. because it's a vampire book (and do I really need a reason to read a vampire book???)

SOOOO many people have told me that I need to read one of Michelle Moran's books. So, I requested Nefertiti. I love the cover. I love the time period. And hopefully, I will love the book itself!!

The next book is Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd. This is one of those books that I have seen popping up all over the internet. It's a book of short stories by YA authors. And it looks really good. Sounds like a great addition to the "pile"!

Monster by A. Lee Martinez is a total impulse pick-up. You know how I'm distracted by shiny objects? Well, this cover is a total shiny object. I saw it and was captivated!! A cool cover is half the battle. Hopefully the book will be as good as the cover.

Elfland by Freda Warrington is another totally impulse pickup. I was skimming the books in the New Books section of our library, when this one caught my eye. A beautiful cover. A story of faeries. And magic. Couldn't get a book that sounds more perfect!

Cirque du Freak: Book 1 A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan is the first book in the Cirque du Freak series. The kids want to see the movie, The Vampire's Assistant. Figured I might want to read a few of the books and see if I like the series.

Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill is a book I've wanted to read forever. I actually bought it when it was released. Then it was stolen by my brother, and I haven't seen it since! Decided it would be a good book to finish up the RIP challenge....so I just decided to get it from the library. Who knows? Maybe I'll actually see my copy again someday!

Another impulse pickup is Zombie Blondes by Brian James. Isn't that like the creepiest cover??? Besides, it's another zombie book, and right now I'm all about the zombies!!

Fallen by Lauren Kate is an ARC that I received in the mail this week. Not sure if I'll like it. The whole Fallen Angel thing may be getting a bit overdone these days. Let's hope for a better book that Hush, Hush.

The Wrong Mother by Sophie Hannah is another ARC that I received for review. It's a murder mystery/thriller. Looks like it could be good!!

Finally, today is Dewey's Read-a-Thon!! Although I can't participate because of work, I will be cheering y'all along, especially in the wee hours of the night. When you need the most cheering. So, I'm getting my pom poms out....dusting them off, and gearing up for a long night. Good luck to all who are participating!!

New YA Read: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick - How Far are you Willing to Fall?

It seems like lately I've been all about the YA books. Or fantasy books. Or, in the case of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (400 pgs, Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing, 2009) a little of both!! This book is set to be released on October 13. The copy that I received is an ARC from Simon & Schuster through Shelf Awareness.

God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment....2 Peter 2:4.

Nora Grey is a smart girl. She would never do anything over-the-top irresponsible, unlike her best friend, Vee. She is a good girl who has no need for boys in her life. She is more worried about college than the prom. Then, a seating change in Biology causes her to be paired up with the new student, loner Patch. And he is anything but responsible. He is tall, dark and gorgeous. And completely uncooperative as a biology partner. At once flirty, yet condescending, he has no desire to complete the interview the teacher assigned as an "investigation". But all the while Nora is maddened by his actions, she is also finding herself wildly attracted to him.

Then weird things start happening to Nora. She doesn't feel safe, and is convinced someone is watching her. Is Patch stalking her? She has this certain feeling that he is somehow involved in the incidents that are plaguing her. And yet, try as she might to keep her distance from him, she just can't. She even tries to investigate his past by looking at school records and finds them completely blank. When push comes to shove, can Nora trust Patch to save her? Or is he the person she needs saving from?

I have waited a ridiculous amount of time to review this book. I kept putting it off and putting it off. I find reviews where I can gush endlessly about a book just write themselves. Anything else is a lot more work. I wanted to love this book. I really did. I had extremely high hopes for it. And unfortunately, they feel short. I try to go into books knowing very little about them, so I don't have such high expectations. But early word about this book has traveled fast, and it's popping up all over the net. From what I've read, I'm probably in the minority on this one. But it just didn't do it for me. And for a number of reasons.

When Harry Potter became so wildly popular, it spawned lots of similar books that dealt with kids and magic. That's just the way the world works. Now we are seeing the same thing with the Twilight books. And unfortunately, I just can't help but see too many similarities with Hush, Hush. From the high school to the bad boy "watching" the heroine....it reeks of the same outline.

Although the basic premise is the same, the storyline does go in a different direction. Patch is the "bad" boy, and honestly, it's hard to tell where his allegiance actually lies. I will give Fitzgerald lots of kudos for the fallen angel/nephilim mythology. It was seriously my favorite part of the book.

I did like Patch. Of course, I have always had a thing for the bad boy. I'm the one that was attracted to Kiefer Sutherland's bad vampire, David, instead of the good guy in Lost Boys. And that's just one of MANY examples I can give. Hell, I even married the bad boy. But as for the rest of the characters....nothing. I didn't really like Nora, and I should have. I always like the "smart" girl that doesn't realize how beautiful she really is. But not so with Nora. She was just so flat to me. And as completely ambivalent as I am about Nora, I downright hated Vee. She was rude, brazen, and just plain dumb. I think she was written as comic relief, but to me, it fell short. And if you don't care about the main characters, it's hard to really like the book.

The story had a lot of potential, and some of that actually shows through. Given time, I think Becca Fitzgerald will turn out some good books. And I have a feeling that those young girls who are missing Edward Cullen will fall hard for Patch. Unfortunately, it just didn't do it for me. But feel free to disagree. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this book. It's bound to be pretty popular with the YA's. 2/5

Catching Fire...Is It as Good as The Hunger Games? You Betcha!!

I remember when I first heard of The Hunger Games. I read a review in Entertainment Weekly by Stephen King. As most of you know, he is one of my very favorite authors, and his column in EW is always a must read for me. When Uncle Steve says a book is worth reading, then it probably is. I was blown away by it, as a matter of fact. It was so readable and so full of action, I could hardly put it down.

So by now, we all know that Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins (400 pgs, Scholastic Press, Sept. 1st 2009 release) is one of the most anticipated books in the blogosphere. I am so excited that I got the chance to read it early. Many, many thanks to Chris from Stuff as Dreams are Made On for passing this one my way!!

SPOILER FREE:

To be honest, this review is actually going to be kind of a non-review. Since the book hasn't been released yet, I don't want to give ANYTHING away. What I will say is Catching Fire starts very soon after The Hunger Games end: Katniss and Peeta are back in District 12 as the winners of the Hunger Games. President Snow is VERY unhappy because Katniss made the Capitol look like fools. And it seems that she might possibly be the new face of a rebellion that is starting.

Did I think Catching Fire was as good as The Hunger Games? Damn skippy, I did! I was amazed at how quickly I got sucked right back into the story. I wasn't sure where Collins was going to go with this book, and I was actually shocked at the direction she took. Heartbreaking at times, and heart stopping at others, Catching Fire is another whirlwind of a book. I was so caught up in reading it, I even considered calling off work just to finish it! (For the record, I was good, and put the book down to go to work!)

There are a few new characters that are introduced in this book, most notably Finnick Odair, another previous winner of The Games. Collins has expanded the dystopian world she created and it is actually more frightening that the first book! And while Katniss and Peeta are still the main focus, some of the more secondary characters really come to life, especially Haymitch, Gale, and President Snow.

I really can't say any more without giving something away. Just know that Catching Fire is one fantastic read!! The only bad thing I have to say is now that I've read it (almost 6 weeks before it's actually released), I don't know if I can wait to read the conclusion to the trilogy! 5/5

Library Loot, Mailbox Monday, and Just One More Challenge!

Today's post is kind of a mess! With some hellish hours at work, I've only had a chance to post sporadically at best. So here is a little bit of everything compiled the last week!!

This week's trip to the library bore the fruit of the graphic novel!! I keep saying, "I've got to try the graphic novel!" So here goes nothing!! Book 1 in the Sandman series, Preludes and Nocturnes. I couldn't start reading the genre without a Neil Gaiman book, could I? And I'm so anal about reading in series order. Hence the first book!








I've read SO MANY good reviews on the Fables Series that I just couldn't pass it up. So many thanks to Chris, Nymeth, and most recently Kailana for my next book: Fables: Legends in Exile.










Although I did receive a few books in the mail this past week, the majority of the books listed here were purchases. Yes, that's right. I bought some books this week!! I haven't purchased a book in months, so this was a treat to myself for all the hard work I've done lately!! Besides, I have a few days off next week. Although the majority of my time will probably be spent doing some spring cleaning (seriously....I think I'm dangerously close to the border of living in a crack house! OK. Maybe it's not quite that bad, but it feels like it sometimes. I just haven't had the time nor desire to do a lot of cleaning lately). And I also want to spend some quality time with the kids. But after it's all said and done, I'd like to have a few hours to myself for a little vampire read-a-thon! That being said, here are my purchases:




Oh yeah. Like this is a surprise!! I've only been talking about Hunted: A House of Night Novel by PC Cast and Kristin Cast since I finished Book 4! The only surprise is, I haven't read it yet :( But like I said, I'm hoping for Vampire Read-a-Thon next week!!

The final book in Colleen Gleason's Gardella Vampire Series is As Shadows Fade. Another book I'm dying to read, and yet I'll be really sad when the series ends. But end it must, so at least I'm looking for a happy farewell!!

I also picked up the next 3 books in the Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine:

Book 3, Midnight Alley

Book 4, Feast of Fools

and Book 5, Lords of Misrule. Should be an interesting week!!

Now, I haven't even finished the first book in Melissa Marr's Trilogy that started with Wicked Lovely. But somehow, I managed to wrangle an ARC of Book 3 called Fragile Eternity. Isn't the cover gorgeous?? I hope to get to all of these really soon too!!

Valerie Russo from Hatchette Books sent me an ARC of David Cristofano's novel, The Girl She Used to Be. It really looks good!

The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson was sent to my by a publicist. It's a memoir, and I think it will be great in my quest to branch out into more non-fiction.

Finally, I picked up an ARC of Laura Lippman's new novel, Life Sentences. I've been wanting to read a Lippman novel for a long time, and this one looks like a great place to start!!

===========================================

Finally, I've decided to join yet another challenge. But this one should be easy. Becky from Becky's Book Reviews is hosting the End of the World Reading Challenge. I LOVE Dystopian books....I read The Host for this challenge last year and it turned out to be my favorite of the year!! So I'm really looking forward to the 2009 choices. Here is what Becky says:

"Name: It's The End Of The World II
Host: Becky (of Becky's Book Reviews)

Dates: March 10, 2009 - October 9, 2009

Books Required: at least four

Read at least four books about "the end of the world." This includes both apocalyptic fiction and post-apocalyptic fiction. There is quite a bit of overlap with dystopic fiction as well. The point being something--be it coming from within or without, natural or unnatural--has changed civilization, society, humanity to such a degree that it radically differs from "life as we now know it." (Aliens, evil governments, war, plague, natural disasters like earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanoes, hurricanes, depletion of resources, genetic manipulation, etc.) Here is a wikipedia article on the subject. Also see here. These changes can be small-but-still-significant or huge-and-life-threatening.

Books can be classified as children's, young adult, and adult. (Not many children's books go there. But many teen books do. And they're great.)

Graphic novels can count for this challenge.

Audio books allowed.

Crossovers with other challenges are allowed."

So on to my choices (which I reserve the right to change at any time!!)

• Uglies by Scott Westerfield (and maybe a couple of the others in the series)
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• The Dead and the Gone by Susan Beth Pfeffer
• The Rising by Brian Keene
• Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
• Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy

That should be enough to keep me busy for awhile!!

True Beauty

When I was contacted by a publicist to receive an ARC of North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley (384 pgs, Little, Brown Young Readers, 2009), I was really excited. I love a good YA book, and this one was extremely good.

Not to brag or anything, but if you saw me from behind, you'd probably think I was perfect. I'm tall, but not too tall, with a ballerina's long legs and longish neck. My hair is naturally platinum blond, the kind that curls when I want it to and cascades behind my back in one sleek line when I don't. While my face couldn't launch a thousand ships, it has the power to make any stranger whip around for a second look. Trust me, this mixture of curiosity and revulsion is nothing Helen of Troy would ever have encountered. Please don't get me wrong: I've got all the prerequisite parts -- and in all the right numbers, too: one nose, two eyes, and twenty-four teeth that add to to not a bad smile. But who notices pearly whites when a red-stained birthmark stretches across the broad plain of my cheek?

Terra Cooper is about to complete high school in three years. She smart, ambitious and even though she doesn't realize it, an extremely talented artist. But Terra has spent her entire life hiding behind a port-wine stain birthmark. Years of laser treatments and creams have done nothing to diminish it, and she now wears a "mask" of cover-up so she can feel normal.

But Terra's reasons for wanting to complete high school so fast doesn't have as much to do with her birthmark as it does getting away from home. She wants to attend college as far from home as possible. Across the country in fact. Her father, a disgraced cartographer has made her life a living hell. He is mean as a snake, constantly criticizing every move she makes. But it's not just Terra that lives in constant fear from her father. It's the entire family. Both Terra's brothers have "escaped". Her oldest brother, Merc is now a lawyer in China. He doesn't ever call or write. And Claudius is now in college, and is always "too busy" to come home. Terra's mother, who takes most of the brow-beating, turns to food to quell the harshness that Grant constantly doles out. And she has gained an enormous amount of weight. It's a viscous circle for her mother. Grant constantly tells her she's fat, and yet she turns to food to blot out the pain.

On a trip home from yet another doctor's appointment, Terra and her mom, stop for coffee, and get into an auto accident. It's here they meet the Fremont's. Norah, the gorgeous coffee-buyer from Seattle and her adopted son from China, Jacob. Although Norah seems to have it all: money, beauty, a high-power job -- looks can be deceiving. Her husband has just left her for a much younger woman. When an unlikely friendship is formed between the mothers, Terra and Jacob start spending time together. And it's through Jacob that Terra starts to question everything she has ever thought the word "beauty" meant.

Justina Chen Headley has taken a pretty big leap with this book. In today's world when young girls are bombarded with images of what is deemed "beautiful", Headley has tried to re-write the definition. And it's admirable. I know how young girls think. I remember what it was like growing up. I was the "smart" girl in my group. Definitely not one of the "beautiful" people. It's hard on young girls when the barrage of the media defines super-model looks as beauty. And even though we have all heard that true beauty is on the inside, it doesn't make it any easier to understand. And that is the lesson this book tries to convey.

At times heartbreaking, North of Beautiful is a wonderful book. Grant comes across as such a horrible person, it's hard to feel anything for him but revulsion. Any father that would deem to tell his own daughter how ugly she is isn't worth anything in my book. And his constant degrading comments to his wife just makes me cringe.

But read on a little farther and you find that both Terra and her mom, with a little help from the Freemont's, come to grip with who they really are. The four take a trip to China...and it's certainly a trip of self-discovery. The transformation is fantastic. This book is a must-read for any person who has ever felt they didn't quite muster up to standard. For anyone who had ever felt they were far from perfect. Personally, a book like this should be a must read for every teenage girl. Justina Chen Headley has created some unique characters to which we can all relate. And I, for one, am certainly glad to say I read it! 4.5/5

ARC's Galore!!! Mailbox Monday (on Tuesday, No Less!)

A SERIOUS week with the ARC's rolling in. I need to get a grip....fast!! Just wanted to share some of my books!

Land Of Marvels by Barry Unsworth. (Actually, I'm not really sure where this one came from. It just showed up on my doorstep!!) It's a historical fiction/thriller from the Booker Prize winner, Barry Unsworth. Sounds like a fantastic read!!








Bones of the Dragon (Book 1 in the Dragonships of Vindras Series) by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman is an ARC that I picked up from Shelf Awareness. Published in January, this one looks like it will be right up my alley!! Gotta love a good fantasy book. I can't wait to read this one!








Buffalo Girl by Laura Pederson is a memoir. Laura Pederson is the youngest person to ever hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. It's about her life growing up in Buffalo. This one was sent to me by Anna from The Book Report.








The Break-up Diet by Annette Fix is a memoir as well. I'm touring this book for Annette's Blog Tour. Sounds like it will be a fun one!











The Unseen by Nancy Bush isn't released until until April 1. It's a thriller and was sent to me by Kim from Nancy Berland Public Relations. I just finished a book that Nancy co-wrote with her sister Lisa Jackson and it was really good.








Fashionably Late by Nadine Dajani is a book that I won from S. Krishna's blog!!











The Judging Eye by R. Scott Bakker is a LibraryThing ARC. It is the first book in an all-new Epic Fantasy series. Another one right up my alley!










True Colors by Kristin Hannah is a new release from the popular author. It was another book sent to me by Anna from the Book Report!

Finally, I received my own copy of The Terror by Dan Simmons (don't forget to sign up from my giveaway!). Sent to me by Valerie from Hatchette Books!!







Now it's time to get back to my reading!!

Mailbox Monday

Well, it looks like this week I hit the mother lode of ARC's! Dang. I need to get a grip on all of them or I think I could be in some serious trouble!! Considering how poorly I ended up reading in January, February had better be a great reading month!!


First of all, I need to thank Miriam Parker from Hatchette Books. She could possibly be my new best friend!! She had posted on Book Blogs about a book tour involving Vampire/Werewolf books. OK....you all know my love of all things vampire related, so I sent her an email. Turns out, she's organizing a blog tour for Carrie Vaughn's newest books in the Kitty Norville series. Of course, I haven't read any of the previous books, but I did express my interest. Imagine my surprise when a box arrived from Hatchette books...with all 6 of the books in the series!! I'm super excited about these!!

Next, I'm doing a blog tour for Jason Pratt's book Cry of Justice. Another book that is sure to be right up my alley. "HOPE AND LOVE - PRIDE AND HONOR. Monsters wander the world of Mikon. Caught in the aftermath of a vicious international war, thousands of refugees have fled the Coastal States, bringing their dangers with them into the wilderness near the untamed Middlelands." It's a fantasy book, and one that sound like a lot of fun. I'll keep you updated on the blog tour!

The World in Half by Cristina Henriquez is another ARC that has hit my pile. This book isn't being released until April. So I have a little time to get this one finished. It is "the story of a young woman reconciling an existence between two cultures and confronting a life of hardship with an endless capacity to learn, love, and forgive. " About a woman finding out who her father really is. Sounds like a wonderful book. Another that I'm really anxious to read.

Finally, a new PI thriller/mystery by Walter Mosley, The Long Fall is due out in March.

I think these should keep me busy for some time to come!!