Waiting on Wednesday (3/31)

Title: Whisper
Author: Phoebe Kitanidis
Release Date: April 27th

I’d love a cup of coffee. I wish she knew how pretty she was. I wish I could drop this kid in the dryer sometimes. I just want her to be happy. I hope she didn’t find out what Ben said about her. I wish I knew how many calories were in a bite of muffin…

Joy is used to hearing Whispers. She’s used to walking down the street and instantly knowing people’s deepest, darkest desires. She uses this talent for good, to make people happy and give them what they want. But for her older sister, Jessica, the family gift is a curse, and she uses it to make people’s lives—especially Joy’s—miserable. Still, when Joy Hears Jessica whisper: I want to kill my Hearing dead, and kill me too if that’s what it takes, she knows she has to save her sister, even if it means deserting her friends, stealing a car and running away with a boy she barely knows—a boy who may have a dark secret of his own.

This one sounds really good!!

Vampire of the Week

Vampire of the Week is a semi-weekly feature on my blog. For more information, go here. To see previous VoW's click here.

And today's Vampire of the Week is. . .

Bill Compton
Even if Bill is a vampire, he's still the gentleman he was raised to be. He's polite, charming and considerate, and he enjoys living in the dark.

Bill Compton was born in 1840. He lived on a farm in Bon Temps, Louisiana with his wife and children. He fought for the South during the Civil War, and shortly after the war he was made a vampire by Lorena, with whom he later had a long and stormy relationship.

When Bill moves back to his ancestral home in Bon Temps, he meets waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Sookie is immediately drawn to Bill, she's never met a vampire before, and she can't read his thoughts. She enjoys the silence. Later that night she saves Bill from being drained by the Rattrays, and a day later Bill returns the favor. Thus, their relationship is born.

Bill is played by Stephen Moyer. Stephen was born in England in 1969.

Book Review: Dead As a Doornail

Title: Dead as a Doornail
Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries/Sookie Stackhouse (Book 5)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2006

Sookie Stackhouse is a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She's pretty and well-mannered and has only a few close friends - which isn't surprising, since not many people can appreciate Sookie's abilities as a mind reader. It's not a quality that has the guys beating down her door - unless they're vampires, werewolves, or other supernatural beings. And now some of them aren't just friendly - they're family." "When Sookie sees her brother Jason's eyes start to change, she knows he's about to turn into a werepanther for the first time - a transformation he embraces more readily than most shapeshifters she's known. But her concern for her brother becomes cold fear when a sniper sets his deadly sights on the local changeling population - and Jason's new panther brethren suspect he may be the shooter." Now, Sookie has until the next full moon to find out who's behind the attacks - unless the killer decides to find her first.

My Review: No one can say that Sookie Stackhouse has a boring life. In just a few days she gets shot, someone burns down her house, and tries to kill her. And as if it isn't enough to have to worry about her own life, someone is also trying to execute Sookies new friends, the were and shifters.

And in the middle of all this, Sookie is being courted by no less than five guys, all some kind of supernatural being, and they're not only after her help and telepathic ability, they're also after her heart. . . Watch out, Sook!

Dead as a Doornail is filled with the familiar Bon Temps characters, our most beloved bachelors, crime, murder and adventure. Another great installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series!

Rating: 4 of 5

Other books in this series:
Dead Until Dark
Living Dead In Dallas
Club Dead
Dead To the World

In My Mailbox (week 12)

IN MY MAILBOX

*Hosted by The Story Siren*

A Season of Eden by J.M. Warwick
He's my teacher. I shouldn't be alone with him. But I can't help that he's irresistible. I let the door silently close at my back. He stared at me, and a taut quiet stretched between us. "I like hearing you play," I said, moving toward him. He turned, in sync with my slow approach. He looked up at me but didn't say anything. I rested my clammy hand on the cold, slick body of the baby grand. "May I?" The muscles in his throat shifted, then he swallowed. "Eden." My knees weakened, like a soft tickling kiss had just been blown against the backs of them. "Is it okay?" I asked. His gaze held mine like two hands joined. He understood what I was really asking. "Let me stay," I said. "Please." "You're going to get me in trouble," he said.

*From Jennifer Laurens*

From the library:

Peeps by Scott Westerfeld

Cal Thompson is a carrier of a parasite that causes vampirism, and must hunt down all of the girlfriends he has unknowingly infected.


What did you get this week?

Contests around the Blogosphere (Week 12)

Here's a list of some great international contests I've discovered recently:

¤ Win a signed and personalized copy of The Body Finder @ Frankie Writes!
Not only will you win a signed copy of the book, you will also win some fantastic swag, including a tote bag, a poster & stickers! Contest ends March 30th. If you enter this contest, please tell Frankie that Sara from YA Vampire Books sent you! :)

¤ Win a copy of Sing Me To Sleep @ Serenehours
This is a book I've heard great stuff about! Contest ends March 31st.

¤ 30 Followers Contest @ Book Reviews From Inside an Igloo
Two winners gets their choice of book (max $20) from The Book Depository! Ends March 31st.

¤ 300 Followers Contest @ I Was A Teenage Book Geek
Lauren is celebrating 300 followers with a chance for you to win 3 books! Contest ends April 6th.

¤ 500 Followers Contest @ Books At Midnight
Win Scones and Sensibility and your choice of The Naught List or Split. Contest ends April 9th.

¤ Win a few books over at Princess Bookie!
There are 3 different ways to get entries into this contest, if you do all 3, you'll get the chance to win 3 books. If you only enter by doing 2 of 3 things - then if you win, you'll win 2 books, and so on. If you do win, you'll pick a number and win the book with that number on it! Contest ends April 11th.

¤ Win Rules of Attraction @ Pure Imagination!
I almost didn't tell you about this contest, cause I want to win so bad! haha. But I figured good deeds comes back to you, right? Contest ends April 13th.

¤ The Body Finder Contest @ Sarah's Random Musings
This is your chance to win a signed copy of the Body Finder, along with lots of swag! This contest ends April 15th. If you enter, please tell Sarah that Sara from YA Vampire Books sent you! :)

¤ Reading With Tequila is celebrating 500 Followers with a Series Giveaway!
There are 10 series (59 books) to choose from, and right now there will be 4 different winners, winning 3-2-1-1 books each. Contest ends April 20th. If you enter, please tell Jennifer that Sara from YA Vampire Books sent you! :)

¤ Random Big Giveaway @ Juiciliciousss Reviews!
Two very lucky winners will receive a USPS ReadyPost Medium Box stuffed with YA books! That's up to 9 books, if you're lucky. Contest ends April 21st.

¤ 300 Followers Contest @ YA Book Queen
This is your chance to win one of two super hyped 2010 releases - Before I Fall & The Sky Is Everywhere plus an ARC of your choice! Contest ends April 23rd.

¤ Can I Be Your Book Fairy Contest @ Ramblings Of a Teenage Bookworm!
Faye is giving one lucky winner a box filled with 12 (TWELVE) or more (!) books! Isn't that awesome? Books included are for example: Before I Fall, The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May & June, and Sing Me To Sleep. Contest ends April 25th. Faye, you can totally be my book fairy!

¤ Mega International and Fantastic YA Box Contest @ The Bookologist!
The winner gets to choose one box with 4 ARCs! Included books are for example Forgive My Fins, Sea & Linger. Contest ends April 26th.

¤ Massive Book Giveaway @ Steph Bowe's Hey! Teenager of the Year
Steph is celebrating one year of blogging with a contest! Right now there are 2 winners, but with every new 50 followers 1 more winner will be added - so spread the word! Contest ends April 30th.

Wow, that is a looong list with awesome contests! I think there's almost enough prizes for all of us ;)

Profilic Blogger Award

I've gotten quite a bunch of Awards recently and I think of this as a chance to show my appreciation to some blogs I read (but perhaps don't have time to comment on very often) - so I'll try to pass on my awards to as many different blogs as possible!

I have been given this very cool award by Aye Me? over at her blog Reversing the Monotony.

Here are the official rules:

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!

2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.

3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to This Post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.

4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (Click here for the Mr. Linky page.)

I'm passing this on to the following 7 bloggers:

1. vvb32reads
2. Mandy from Edge of Seventeen
3. Misty from Book Rat
4. The Kirks from Teens Read and Write
5. Brizmus from Brizmus Blogs Books
6. Reading Nook
7. Kate from Read this Book!

Cover Combat: Sophie Kinsella

I do not know about you, but I do judge books by their covers.
In Cover Combat I compare US covers with the Swedish covers of the same books, to see which covers I like the most!

This week the covers of The Undomestic Goddess, Can You Keep a Secret?, Rememer Me? and Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella are being judged.

UK/US covers








Swedish Covers:





This is definitely a Swedish win for me! When you look at the Swedish covers you get the feeling of a fun, light book with a fun and sometimes clumsy heroin - a typical Kinsella book in other words! The only Swedish cover I doesn't like is the third one, but the others are great!

Which covers do you prefer?

Want to see the French covers? Take a look at Brizmus' post!

Cover Combat SCORE:
Sweden 1 - USA 4

Previous Cover Combats:
Sloane Sisters (US)
Gone (SWE)
The Hunger Games (US)
Queen of Babble (US)
Vampire Academy (US)

Waiting on Wednesday (3/24)

Title: The Karma Club
Author: Jessica Brody
Release Date: April 27th

"Personally, I’m tired of waiting for the universe to get off its butt and start fixing stuff. I don’t want to wait around for Mason to get what’s coming to him. Or Heather Campbell, for that matter . . . I want to be there to see it happen."

Madison Kasparkova always thought she understood how Karma works. It’s that mysterious, powerful force that brings harmony to the universe. You know—do good things and you will be rewarded, do something bad and Karma will make sure you get what’s coming to you. A sort of cosmic balancing act.

But when Mason Brooks, Maddy’s boyfriend of two years, gets caught tongue-wrestling with Miss Perfect Body Heather Campbell, and absolutely nothing happens to either of them—except that they wind up the hot new couple of Colonial High School, it seems like Karma has officially left Maddy in the lurch. That’s why Maddy and her best friends, Angie and Jade, decide to start the Karma Club—a secret, members-only organization whose sole purpose is to clean up the messes that the universe has been leaving behind. Whether they’re modifying Heather Campbell’s acne cream as part of “Operation Butterface,” or righting a few wrongs when it comes to Angie and Jade’s own slimy exes, they know they’re just doing what Karma should have done in the first place. They’re taking care of one another.

Sometimes, though, it isn’t wise to meddle with the universe. Because it turns out, when you mess with Karma, Karma messes back. Now Maddy must find a way to balance her life for good, even as everything around her seems to be toppling to the ground.

* Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill *

In My Mailbox

This is a late In My Mailbox post, featuring the books I got last week while I was on vacation =)

How To Hook A Hottie by Tina Ferraro
At 17, Kate Delvecchio has one goal in life: to become a millionaire before the age of 20. And as far as she’s concerned, college will only slow her down. Unfortunately for Kate, the one thing her parents do agree on is that they totally disagree with her strategy. And so the deal is born. If Kate can raise five thousand big ones by graduation day, her parents will hand over the balance of her college account to invest as she pleases. No college, no degree, and no way she’ll ever be able to pull it off. But when Kate accidentally agrees to go to the sports banquet with the hottest guy at school, she stumbles upon a possible cash cow. The rest of the junior class is amazed that no-nonsense Kate could hook such a hottie, and one by one they approach her for help hooking their own. She doesn’t know anything about getting guys, but for $100 a pop, she’s more than willing to invent a six-step plan for How to Hook a Hottie. And how could that possibly backfire?

Won from YA Fresh


Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman
Savannah would be happy to spend the summer in her coastal Carolina town working at the library and lying in a hammock reading her beloved romance novels. But then she meets Jackson. Once they lock eyes, she’s convinced he’s the one—her true love, her soul mate, a boy different from all the rest. And at first it looks like Savannah is right. Jackson abides by her mama’s strict rules, and stays by her side during a hospitalization for severe asthma, which Savannah becomes convinced is only improving because Jackson is there. But when he’s called away to help his family—and seems uncertain about returning—Savannah has to learn to breathe on her own, both literally and figuratively.

Won from vvb32reads

Splash Award

I've gotten quite a bunch of Awards recently and I think of this as a chance to show my appreciation to some blogs I read (but perhaps don't have time to comment on very often) - so I'll try to pass on my awards to as many different blogs as possible!


Splash Award:

This wonderful, splashy award was given to me by Morgan at Smitten With Books. Thanks, Morgan!
Morgan has been blogging for less than three months - but she might as well has been blogging for three years! Go check out her blog if you haven't already! Oh, and you can count on lots of reviews from Morgan in the future, since she won over 30 books in Elizabeth Scott's contest (Wow)! Check out her contest entry post here. (That's dedication!)


"This award is given to the blog that is alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring."


The Rules:

1. Put the logo on your blog/post.
2. Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your Splash award.
6. Have F~U~N.

So here are some bloggers I'm passing this splashy award onto:
1. Jenny from Wondrous Reads
2. Lauren's Crammed Bookshelf
3. Zomibe Girrrl from Crackin Spines & Takin Names
4. I Heart Monster
5. Bookworm
6. Sophie from So Many Books, So Little Time
7. Book Reviews By Jess
8. Flipping Pages For all Ages
9. Just Your Typical Book Blog

Book Review: Untamed

Title: Untamed
Series: House of Night (Book #4)
Authors: P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Published:

Synopsis:
Life sucks when your friends are pissed at you.
Just ask Zoey Redbird – she’s become an undisputed expert on suckiness. In one week she has gone from having three boyfriends to having none, and from having a tight-knit group of friends who trusted and supported her, to being an outcast. And the worst part is, she knows it’s her own fault. Speaking of friends, the only two Zoey has left are undead, unMarked, and unable to stop bickering with each other. So who can blame her for befriending the House of Night’s newest transfer student, the majorly hot Olympic archer, James Stark?

Meanwhile, Neferet has declared a war on humans after it appears that the People of the Faith have murdered two vampyres. But Aphrodite’s latest visions show a world completely different from the High Priestess’s promises, a world full of violence, hatred, and darkness, all because of Zoey’s death—and the only way it seems she can prevent it from happening is to make things right with her friends. Zoey knows in her heart that fighting with humans is wrong. But will anyone listen to her? Zoey's adventures at vampyre finishing school take a wild and dangerous turn as loyalties are tested, shocking true intentions come to light, and an ancient evil is awakened in PC and Kristin Cast's spellbinding fourth House of Night novel.

My Review:
In my opinion, this is the best book in the House of Night series so far. It contains more action, mysteries and "bad guys" than the previous HoN books. The things Zoey is up against in this book is not the evil queen bee, nope her enemy is more evil, powerful and dangerous than that!

Speaking of the queen bee; Aphrodite, Zoey's enemy and rival in the first two books is now her, somewhat reluctant, ally. While keeping her bitch act outwards, Aphrodite shows a more kinder side in this book. She helps Zoey and stands strongly by her side through the entire book. She has actually gone from being a bully to one of my favorite characters.

And believe it or not, this book actually ended with a cliffhanger! And everything is not well in Zoey's world. . . I actually can't wait to read the next book!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Previous books in this series:
Marked
Betrayed
Chosen

One Lovely Blog Award

I've gotten quite a bunch of Awards recently and I think of this as a chance to show my appreciation to some blogs I read (but perhaps don't have time to comment on very often) - so I'll try to pass on my awards to as many different blogs as possible!

One Lovely Blog award

One Lovely Blog award

Thanks to vvB32reads & Morgan from Smitten With Books

This award is for 15 new blogs and new blogging friends newly-discovered bloggers by me:

Here are the rules:
1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link
2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.
3) Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

And here are my 15 nominees!

1. Rhiana Reads
2. Marjolein Book Blog
3. Story Wings
4. Aye Me? from Reversing the Monotony
5. Tuning Into YA Books
6. Raíla from Get the Books Out of the Bookshelves
7. Books Make Great Lovers
8. [Bloggers [[heart]] Books]
9. Faye from Ramblings of a Teenage Bookworm
10. Aik from Friends and Family
11. Sab H from YA Bliss
12. Read Into This!
13. Renee from The Book Girl Reviews
14. Alexa from Not Enough Bookshelves
15. Everything To Do With Books

TV : Vampire High

"When The Great Eclipse plunged the world into darkness, the vampire race erupted in a civil war. The bloodthirsty faction known as The Fury battled the enlightened Elders known as The Convocation for domination of the un-dead.

In desperation, the Elders gathered up those young vampires that could be saved and entrusted them to me to humanize them, to tame their instincts and teach them how to live among mortals."

In the day, we deal with the students of Mansbridge Academy, the last stop resort for troublesome rich kids. The parents, not knowing what to do with the teens leave them at the secluded boarding school hoping for some resolution. By day it seems an average school with teens trying to cope with the years most of us like to forget. Romance, passion, friendship, heartache are just some of the issues Sherry, Mimi and friends contend with over their term at the Academy. Sherry is the lovable girl next door to most (a facade she shuts down when best friend Mimi is around) but is really a deeply romantic and energetic young lady who wants to find her soul mate in life.

As night falls we are introduced to the many vampire characters. Karl, the sporty, troublesome teen who was made a vampire only last Halloween, will his immature attitude land him in trouble sooner rather than later? Meek Merrill who is smart and wants to do well, but will her love for others bring out a darker force? Popular and beautiful Essie, a royal by blood seeks comfort in fashion, but does she need more then material possessions? Bad boy Marty, the most evil of the vampires, he likes to cause trouble between the group but will he one day go too far? And finally we have the character of Drew, dark and mysterious, he falls madly in love with mortal Sherry, but what lengths will he go to for the one he desires?

As the characters move through life at Mansbridge they battle each other and the evil fury. But most importantly themselves... Will they all survive their first year at Mansbridge Academy?

Vampire High is a Canadian TV series (26 episodes) which originally aired from 2001 to 2002. Official Website: VampireHigh.net

Watch Vampire High on YouTube!
Here's episode 1:

Waiting on Wednesday (3/17)

It's Wednesday again! And today I have two to-be-released books for you!


Title: The Clearing
Author: Heather Davis
Release Date: April 12th

Amy, a sixteen-year-old recovering from an abusive relationship, moves to the country to start a new life with her aunt–all she wants is for everything to be different. In the clearing at the back of Aunt Mae’s property, she makes an amazing discovery—Henry, a boy stuck in the endless summer of 1944. Henry and his world become Amy’s refuge and she begins to learn that some moments are worth savoring. But when the past and present come crashing together, both of them must find the courage to face what is meant to be, even if it means losing each other forever.



Title: Boys, Bears, and a Serious Pair of Hiking Boots
Author: Abby McDonald
Release Date: April 13th

Can a boy-hungry Jersey girl survive the wilds of Canada with her eco-identity intact? A witty new YA novel from the author of SOPHOMORE SWITCH.

Jenna may hail from the ’burbs of New Jersey, but Green Teen activism is her life. So when her mom suggests they spend the summer at Grandma’s Florida condo, Jenna pleads instead to visit her hippie godmother, Susie, up in rural Canada. Jenna is psyched at the chance to commune with this nature she’s heard about — and the cute, plaidwearing boys she’s certain must roam there. But after a few run-ins with local wildlife (from a larger-than-life moose to Susie’s sullen Goth stepdaughter to a hot but hostile boy named Reeve), Jenna gets the idea that her long-held ideals, like vegetarianism and conservation, don’t play so well with this population of real outdoorsmen. A dusty survival guide offers Jenna amusing tips on navigating the wilderness — but can she learn to navigate the turns of her heart?

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill

I'm going to. . .

PARIS!!

I'll be back next week!
Don't worry though; I have scheduled some posts for this week, so you won't miss me! ;)

Book Review: Tunnels of Blood

Title: Tunnels of Blood
Series: Cirque Du Freak (Book #3)
Author: Darren Shan
Published: 2000

Synopsis:
Darren, the vampire's assistant, gets a taste of the city when he leaves the Cirque Du Freak with Evra the snake-boy and Mr. Crepsley. When corpses are discovered--corpses drained of blood-- Darren and Evra are compelled to hunt down whatever foul creature is committing such horrendous acts. Meanwhile, beneath the streets, evil stalks Darren and Evra, and all clues point to Mr. Crepsley. Can they escape, or are they doomed to perish in the tunnels of blood?

My Review:
I enjoyed Tunnels of Blood much more than The Vampire's Assistant. I don't know if it is because I have gotten used to the way Shan writes, but the language and writing in this book didn't bother me nearly as much as in The Vampire's Assistant.

My favorite character in this book was definitely Murlough, a mad vampaneze (vampire gone bad, err badder) He was funny, mad and well, creepy.

The Saga of Darren Shan is the perfect series for young boys and girls looking for an easy-read sufficiently creepy series.

Rating: 3 of 5

Previous books in this series:
Cirque Du Freak
The Vampire's Assistant

Contests around the Blogosphere

This is a list of some great contests I've discovered recently. As usual, all contests on the list is open internationally - so everyone can enter!

Fantabulous Followers Giveaway @ Elana Johnson's Blog.
Enter to win one of 7 signed books! Ends March 14th.

Win a Sookie, Night Huntress or Anne Rice book of your choice @ 25 Hour Books
Ends March 17th.

Win Ondine @ Brizmus Blogs Books. Contest ends March 25th.
Brizmus is also having a few other contests going on - so head over to her blog and enter them too!

Win I Was Joe @ The Bokette.
Ends March 26th

Win an ARC of Magic Under Glass! Another contest hosted by the fabulous Brizmus! ends March 27th.

Huge Contest @ Book-lover Carol!
There will be 4 winners, and the first place winner will get around 5-7 books! Contest ends April 1st.

Win an ARC of Jekel Loves Hyde @ La Femme Readers!
Ends April 8th. This book isn't going to be released until May, so this is your chance to read it before everyone else!

MEGA Swag and More Giveaway @ Extreme Reader.
This is your chance to win bookmarks, booklets, tattoos, magnets, signed books, and lots of other stuff! Contest ends April 10th.

The Serpentine Library is celebrating her new blog layout with an awesome contest! Take the chance to win for example Before I Fall, The Body Finder & Lament! Giveaway ends April 10th.

La Femme Readers & A Good Addiction have teamed up to host a fantastic YA contest! The prizes are some of the most anticipated YA novels of 2010! Enter at La Femme Readers or A Good Addiction before April 15th!

Author Lindsey Leavitt is having A Very Royal Contest to celebrate the release of her novel Princess For Hire! Take the chance to win books, gift cards, bookmarks princess swag and more! The contest ends March 31st

Want to know more about the book? Go check out it's brand-new website for a sneak peek, FAQs, Quizzes and lots more!

Take a look at my bookshelves!

So, I've seen some bloggers posting pictures of their bookshelves, and since I loved watching their bookshelves I thought someone might enjoy watching mine! Oh, and if you've made a similar post on your blog, or plan on posting pics of your bookshelves, please sign the Mr Linky with a link to your post at the bottom of this post!

So here's some pictures of my shelves :)

Bookshelf No. 1
Harry Potter & Chronicles of Narnia books, along with some dictionaries and other boring books :P

Bookshelf No.2

As you can see I'm running out of shelves...this is actually two rows of books, with some old books & journals in the back, and books, DVDs and photo albums in the front row! Worth to mention is The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books on the left, the Pirates of the Caribbean DVDs and the Veronica Mars box!

Now onto funnier shelves!

Bookshelf No. 3
This shelf contains books I've won from different contests!
Oh - and if you're wondering about the papers on top of the books, that's actually my bookmarks and other bookish swag!


Bookshelf No. 4

Half of the books on this shelf is the rest of my contest books, the other half are my hard-covers! (I think this is my favorite bookshelf - just because it looks so good!)


And my 5th and final bookshelf
Which contains my beloved paperbacks! :)

Question: How do you arrange your books? Do you sort them by author, size, format, color?
As you've seen I arrange my books based on format (won books/hardcovers/paperbacks), and within those shelves sorted by size. I'm thinking about re-arranging my books though...any suggestions?


I love watching other people's bookshelves, so if you're posting pictures at your bookshelves on your blog, or already have done so in the past - please leave a link to your post! I, and I'm sure many others, would love to check it out!


Bloggers' Bookshelves!
Sign the Mr. Linky Widget and share your bookshelves with other bloggers around the world!

Vampire of the Week

Vampire of the Week is a semi-weekly feature on my blog. For more information, go here. To see previous VoW's click here.

And today's Vampire of the Week is. . .

Carlisle Cullen!

Why does Carlisle deserve to be Vampire of the Week?

Well, Carlisle Cullen is probably the kindest, most human-friendly vampire ever. When he first turned into a vampire he refused to drink blood, and tried to kill himself in every possible way. Carlisle didn't succeed though, and finally his blood lust became to strong and he fed from a deer. Since then animal blood is all Carlisle has been drinking, and he has passed on his philosophy to his family. Carlisle has also devoted his life to helping humans, and is a skillful doctor.

Stregone Carlisle Benefice Cullen was born in 1640 as a son to an Anglican pastor. When he was 23 he was attacked by a vampire and left to die on the streets, but Carlisle survived and the rest is, as they say, history.

Carlisle Cullen is played by Peter Facinelli. Peter was born in New York in 1973, and has many roles in movies and TV series on his résumé. Peter is married to Beverly Hills actress Jennie Garth, and they have three daughters together.

Waiting on Wednesday (3/10)

Title: Swoon at Your Own Risk
Author: Sydney Salter
Release Date: April 5

It’s the summer before senior year and Polly Martin has sworn off boys. Who needs the hurt and confusion? Five recent breakups have left her with an unnatural knowledge of NASCAR, the ultimate hiker’s outfit, a student council position, the sixth highest score on the Donkey Kong machine at the mall, and a summer job at Wild Waves with ex #2 Sawyer Holmes.
Success seems a sure thing when Polly’s grandmother, the syndicated advice columnist, Miss Swoon, moves in for the summer. Polly almost doesn’t mind sharing a room with her little sister, Grace. Think of all the great advice she’ll get!
Everything is going according to plan except... Miss Swoon turns out to be a man-crazy septuagenarian! And then there’s Xander Cooper. If only he wouldn’t keep showing up at Wild Waves with his adorable cousins every afternoon — and what is he writing in that little notebook?
No advice column in the world can prepare Polly for the lessons she learns when she goes on a group camping trip (with three too many ex-boyfriends). Polly is forced to see people for who they are — a blend of good and bad qualities that can’t be reduced to a list or a snappy answer in a Miss Swoon column.
Sounds like a perfect summer read, don't you think?

Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking The Spine

Princess Bookie's Recreate A Cover Contest

For the second time, Princess Bookie is holding a "Recreate a Cover" contest, and I thought I'd give it a try this year! Since I posted the Rules of Attraction trailer earlier today, I thought it was fitting to recreate the cover for that book! So here's my entry (First time I've ever done something like this, so don't judge me :p):

* Photo from Getty Images.

Rules of Attraction Book Trailer

Simone Elkeles has finally (I've been waiting for weeks!) posted the book trailer for Rules of Attraction!!



Sooo how much do you want April 27th to be today?
I love this book trailer! (How hot aren't Carlos & Alex? *fainting*)
I can't wait to read Rules of Attraction, I loved Perfect Chemistry, and this book sounds just as good!

Here's the book trailer for Perfect Chemistry btw, very different, but just as good!



If you haven't read Perfect Chemistry yet, do it now! It's an order :)

**Edit: Amber pointed out that the text in the beginning of this video says "the second book in the Perfect Chemistry TRILOGY! you know what that means, right? :D *Doing a happy dance***

Comments working again!

Thank you so much to Lea for pointing out that my comments form didn't work! I've changed the settings, so it should work again now :)

But please tell me if you have any problems (about comments or something else)!

yavampire(at)hotmail(dot)com

Book Review: Blood Promise

Title: Blood Promise
Series: Vampire Academy (Book 4)
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: 2009

Warning: This review contains spoilers from previous Vampire Academy books! Do not read this review if you haven't read the other books in this series.

How far will Rose go to keep her promise?

The recent Strigoi attack at St. Vladimir’s Academy was the deadliest ever in the school’s history, claiming the lives of Moroi students, teachers, and guardians alike. Even worse, the Strigoi took some of their victims with them. . . including Dimitri.

He’d rather die than be one of them, and now Rose must abandon her best friend, Lissa—the one she has sworn to protect no matter what—and keep the promise Dimitri begged her to make long ago. But with everything at stake, how can she possibly destroy the person she loves most?

My Review:

Blood Promise is much longer than the previous Vampire Academy books, but not as action-filled. To tell the truth I think this book started out a bit slow, with Rose being in Russia searching for Dimitri, but instead finding his family. Sure, it was nice to get to know Dimitri's family - but let's face it, we were all waiting for Dimitri to show up!

Which he does, eventually, and as a result the plot gets more interesting and fast-paced right away. . .

The way Rose reacted when she met Dimitri, was so realistic, and I think that most of us would have reacted the same way in her situation. She knew that he was a Strigoi and that she had to kill him, but she still hoped that his old personality was in him somewhere. And she kept searching for signs that he was, after all, still human. And to do what Rose did in the end of this book - I can't believe how much mental strength it most have taken!

I can't end this review without mentioning Adrian! Well, if you didn't love Adrian before, you will after reading this book! He has turned from a drinking, flirting, and smoking bad boy, to a more mature, caring and nice man. (He's still his sarcastic bad boy self though - don't worry!)

This fourth book in the Vampire Academy series wasn't the strongest or most action-filled book of the series - but we got to meet a lot of new characters, and some of them are probably going to play a bigger part of coming books. And guess what? This book ended with a cliffhanger, and I can't wait for Spirit Bound to be released in May! A book that I hope, and believe, will be more action-filled and fast-paced than Blood Promise.

Rating: 4 of 5

Previous books in this series:
Vampire Academy
Frostbite
Shadow Kiss

Cover Combat: Sloane Sisters

I do not know about you, but I do judge books by their covers.
In Cover Combat I compare US covers with the Swedish covers of the same books, to see which covers I like the most!

This week the covers of Sloane Sisters by Anna Carey are being judged.


US Covers:



Swedish Covers:



No contest for me! I really like the US covers for this series. I love how the girls' clothes are all color-coordinated and matches the background. I also like the font and how it says "Sloane Sisters" all over the cover. So really - no contest.

Which covers do you prefer?

P.S Want to check out the Dutch cover of Sloane Sisters? Nina did a post about it earlier this week!

Contests around the Blogosphere

Right now, there are lots of great international contests going on on different book blogs! Here are a few of them that I've discovered recently:


** Win ARCs a Critique or a Blog Design @ Hey! Teenager of the Year. Ends March 5!

** 50+ Followers Contest @ YA Addict! The winner picks one of five new and very anticipated books! Ends March 12.

** Lucky In Love Contest @ Jennifer's Musings
Author Jennifer Laurens is giving away a prize pack including her four YA books, some candy, and a packet of amazing feather wing tip lashes! Contest ends March 14th!

** Alexandra Bracken is celebrating her soon-to-be released novel Brightly Woven with a huge contest! Enter before March 16th!

** 75 Followers Contest @ Imagination in Focus. Win a book of your choice! Ends March 16th.

** 25 Followers Contest @ I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read. Ends March 26th.

** Win an ARC of Liar @ Handle Like Hendrix. This contest ends March 29th!

** Win Before I Fall and/or The Sky is Everywhere @ Reading Nook. Ends March 31st.

** 500 Followers Contest @ Dark Faerie Tales. Four winners and lots of books to choose from! Ends March 31st.

** Win a signed copy of one of four books in the Spellmans series @ Strange and Random Happenstance! Contest ends April 5th.

** Ridiculously Awesome Contest @ Bloody Bookaholic! There will be 7 winners. The first place is open to everyone in the world, place 2-7 is for North America only. Contest ends April 18th.

Good luck everyone!

Humane Award + Blogger Buddie Award

Humane Award
A big thank you to Velvet from vvB32 Reads

This award is to honor certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendship through the blog world.

Rule: Nominate 10 bloggers you feel deserve the Humane Award.

My nominations:
1. Book Crazy Jenn
2. Lily's Book Shelf
3. Bere from Sueños En La Luna
4. Melissa from I Swim For Oceans
5. Lea from YA Book Queen
6. Nina from J'adore Happy Endings
7. Ladybug from Escape In a Book
8. Brizmus from Brizmus Blogs Books
9. Morgan from Smitten With Books
10. Lori from Escape Between the Pages

And since I like you guys so much, I'm also giving you this award:


Too cute for words, isn't it?

I've got this one from Lily's Bookshelf! Thank you!

Book Review: Chosen

Title: Chosen
Series: House of Night (Book 3)
Author: P. C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Published: 2008

Dark forces are at work at the House of Night and fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird’s adventures at the school take a mysterious turn. Those who appear to be friends are turning out to be enemies. And oddly enough, sworn enemies are also turning into friends. So begins the gripping third installment of this “highly addictive series” (Romantic Times), in which Zoey’s mettle will be tested like never before. . .

My Review:
Surprisingly, this book was pretty good! If you follow my blog, you might recall that I wasn't a fan of the first book in the House of Night series, but that I thought the second book, Betrayed, was a big improvement. Well, Chosen, follows along those lines.
One thing I liked about this book was that it contained less Cherokee rituals and magic. I think that part is confusing, and doesn't add much to the storyline.

Zoey was a more likeable person in this book. She didn't make smart decisions all the time and she wasn't perfect, but she was human (well, fledging actually). She had good self-awareness, and she knew when she was acting wrong.

There were a few things about this book that bugged me though. I still thought that many characters, especially Zoey's friends, had too exaggerated personalities. They were too extreme and unique.

I also didn't understand the whole "OMG, Zoey cussed!" storyline. Doesn't Zoey cuss all the time? Just avoiding the worst cuss words isn't not cussing!

Well, well. If you liked the way the first two House of Night books were written, and their teenage "voice" - then you will like this third book too!

Rating: 3,5 of 5

Previous books in this series:
Marked
Betrayed

Waiting on Wednesday (3/3)

Title: Rules of Attraction
Series: Sequel to Perfect Chemistry
Author: Simone Elkeles
Release Date: April 27

New sparks will fly in the sequel to Simone Elkeles’s breakout book Perfect Chemistry

When Carlos Fuentes returns to America after living in Mexico for a year, he doesn’t want any part of the life his older brother, Alex, has laid out for him at a high school in Colorado. Carlos likes living his life on the edge and wants to carve his own path—just like Alex did. Then he meets Kiara Westford. She doesn’t talk much and is completely intimidated by Carlos’ wild ways. As they get to know one another, Carlos assumes Kiara thinks she’s too good for him, and refuses to admit that she might be getting to him. But he soon realizes that being himself is exactly what Kiara needs right now.

With new characters to fall in love with and the same hot romance found in Perfect Chemistry, Simone Elkeles has crafted another sure-fire hit for teens.

I'm sooo excited about this book! I loved Perfect Chemistry, and I'm sure that Rules of Attraction will be just as good! Can't wait until April! Iiieeee!

Happy Release Day to. . .

. . . Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins!

When Sophie Mercer turned thirteen, she discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-Gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hecate Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward prodigium, a.k.a. witches, fae, and shapeshifters. By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard. Three powerful enemies who look like supermodels; a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock; a creepy, tag-along ghost; and a new roommate, who happens to be the most-hated person and only vampire on campus. Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her friend Jenna is the number one suspect. Meanwhile, Sophie has a more personal shock to grapple with. Not only is her father the head of the prodigium council, he's the most powerful warlock in the world, and Sophie is his heir. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all prodigium, especially her.

Sounds awesome, right? Want a chance to win this book? Head over to Rachel's blog and enter before midnight!

Read & Watched in February

This is a summary post of all books I have read and reviewed during the last month, plus all movies and TV series I have watched.

Books:

1. This Charming Man - Marian Keyes
2. Club Dead - Charlaine Harris (Review)
3. Fallen - Lauren Kate (Mini Review)
4. Twenties Girl - Sophie Kinsella (Mini Review)
5. Blood Promise - Richelle Mead (Review)
6. The Vampire's Assistant - Darren Shan (Review)
7. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater (for some reason it took mer more than a month to finish this!) (Mini Review)
8. The Year of Secret Assignments - Jaclyn Moriarty (Mini Review)
9. Dead To The World - Charlaine Harris (Review)
10. The Ex-Games - Jennifer Echols (Mini Review)
11. Change Up - Keri Mikulski (Free e-book here!)

Movies:

1. Snabba Cash
2. Princess Protection Program
3. Whip It
4. Adventureland

TV Shows:

Blood Ties, Season 2, episodes 7-10
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season6, Epiosodes 13-22
Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season 7, Episodes 1-6
Kindred: The Embraced, Episodes 1-3