Topic: Top Ten Books I Want To Give As Gifts [and to who...even if you won't actually give them!-(but I am actually giving these books)]
This meme is created by The Broke and the Bookish, anyone can participle telling about their top 10 topic items are.
My List
1) Saints Astray by Jacqueline Carey
To: my cousin Erin
I want my own copy of the book, but I'm going to wait
2) Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
To: my cousin Corrine
I gave her book 1-3 of the VA signed to her last Christmas, sadly this isn't signed
3) Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
To: my sister Audriana
She doesn't own the last book yet
4) The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
To: my friend Candie
I was telling her she needs to read this book and I figured I would just give it to her
5) Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
To: my friend Candie
Same things again, I suggested she read this
6) Hades by Alexandra Adornetto
To: my coworker Shawn
I got her name for the secret Santa gift, I gave her book 1 as a tip when I got a massage from her
7) Nightshade by Andrea Creamer
To: coworker Shawn
4 gifts each gift needs to be under $10, thank you Half Price Books
8) Goddess of Legend by PC Cast
To: coworker Shawn
I have told her she needs to read these books, I love this one
9) Call of the Highland Moon by Kendra Leigh Castle
To: coworker Shawn
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this PR author, she is one of my favs
10) Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie
To: my sister Daniela
Since she has been watching Once Upon a Time she has gotten interested in reading re-told fairytales, I had this book in my gift to someone pile
Gift of Reading
I actually took this photo last week for my Bookography photo, very fitting for this weeks topic.
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days. The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color. The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now. Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
What I Loved
Emotions
There are so many emotions in all the words and descriptions I couldn't help but completely become very involved with the characters and the story. At first I wasn't so sure about the cross out text, but as the story progressed and we got to understand Juliette I came to enjoy her personal censorship.
Characters
Juliette: I'm very impressed with her character, in the beginning I was a little worried that I wouldn't care for her and that she might annoy me, thankfully that wasn't the case. I loved how strong of a character she is and even though she has gone through a lonely life she hasn't let that make her bitter and mean.
Adam: I completely love love his character, he is going to be on my list of favorite boys in the YA genre. I love his passion, I love his compassion, his tenderness, and his complete devotion to the ones he loves.
Warner: I really hope there aren't any Warner fans out there I read Tarereh's faq and one of the questions is "Is it wrong that I like Warner" In my opinion, yes! He is a freaking fanatical psychotic nut job, but he does make for a great obsessive villainous character. Sorry to all you Warner fans out there, he has a lot of redemption to make up to become a likable character in my eyes.
Romance
WOW, just awesome romance. The romance was a perfect blend of sweet, touching, intense and hot.
What I Didn't Like
I have to wait a whole year for the next book. I hatelovehatelove love/hate you fellow bloggers for making me read this book now, completely torture that I have to wait for more. At the same time the story is pretty amazing and I'm glad I didn't wait to read this one. I guess I am just going to have to re-read the books with each new book release.
Recommendation
Got to read this book.
Information
Genre: YA Dystopian, Romance, Fantasy
Shatter Me Trilogy
Shatter Me
Book 2 Fall 2012
Book 3 Fall 2013
Could you keep your sanity with 264 days of isolation?
s a fun new way to share the beauty of books with photography. Take a picture with the book being the focus or inspiration and share the picture(s) you have created for the week.
Book
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Gift of Reading
The edits I did to this photo were cropping and aligning the photo so the ribbon tower is straight. I also lightened the photo and added a gradient to the right side. Lastly I saturated the colors just a little bit, some of the reds were a little too distracting.
I'm going to try to do a few Christmas themed photos over the next few weeks till Christmas. Darkest Mercy will be going to my sister, she has all of them but the final book. The other 2 book wrapped in the upper corner are Secret Santa gifts going to a coworker that likes to read, those books are Goddess of Legend by PC Cast and Nightshade by Andrea Creamer.
If you would like to participate please do. I will try to post my Bookography post each week on Wednesdays. I would love if you would link back to my blog and share your own link in the comments.
Follow the hunt every day during the month of December. Answer the daily trivia questions from MG and YA books published during 2011 to be entered into the YA book giveaway.
Today's Question
is from Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Question#13: What FBI agent shows an interest in Violet's gift?
Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.
A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.
What I Liked
Genre
I usually don't read realistic/contemporary fiction, but I was pleasantly surprised with the book. I found myself enthralled with the humorous characters, the sad situation for our main character and the journey of personal growth.
Character
Cam: I enjoyed Cam's attitude problems, she is witty, sarcastic and can come up with some interesting things. I also liked the progression of her character throughout the book.
Supporting Characters: The rest of the characters, her mom, sister, Nana, Asher, friends and random people all added a humorous element that completely enhanced the story with their interesting interactions with Cam.
Lessons
Even though I felt sad and sorry for the Cam, the book isn't really about that. The story is about learning to appreciate your life and to not take things for granted. Life is too short to waste. The book puts life into perspective and makes you contemplate where you are going and what you are going to be doing. It also serves as good reminder to live in the present moment.
I Didn't Like
I cried at the end, lets just leave it at that.
Recommendation
A great book for people who love YA realistic/contemporary, but if you are willing to step out of your comfort reads away for fantasy this would be a good book to try.
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.
Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.
Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.
What I Liked
Space Future
This is my first space book that I have read and I really did enjoy it. I didn't like nor agree with how the ship was being ran, but the controversy that Elder discovers makes for great entertainment. I am so glad that I don't live within the metal confines, I would probably be like Amy and getting pretty angry with things.
POV
The book switched back and forth between Amy and Elder for each chapter. This can be super frustrating especially when a major detail is revealed and a mini cliffhanger is left till the next chapter while we go and read what it going on with the other character. It is also great because you get the story from both of their perspectives and you are able to learn all the information and you get two completely different stories since they are two completely different characters.
Characters
Amy: I give her props for the courage she shows throughout the entire book. To be alone and without the family you thought you would have and to be in a very foreign environment takes a lot of guts. She does handle things fairly well, at times she does show some weakness, it isn't an annoying weakness but she shows her vulnerability and humanity.
Elder: A rebellion character, not willing to follow the designated path the way he was taught. He things for himself and he fights for what he believes in. I'm looking forward to seeing what else he will do in the next book, he does present many interesting views.
What I Didn't Like
With the rotating 1st person POV at times I would get a little lost and have to really concentrate who's chapter it was. Just keep straight who is actually talking gets a little difficult at times.
Recommendation
A must read, if you haven't read it yet.
Information
Genre: YA Sci-fi/Fantasy Across the Universe Trilogy
Across the Universe
A Million Suns January 10, 2012
Book 3
Have you read this book? Have you read any other space books?
