In My Mailbox

Bought:

Endless Summer - Jennifer Echols

Library:

The Summer I Turned Pretty - Jenny Han

Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

NetGalley:

Populazzi - Elise Allen

Waiting on Wednesday: Last Sacrifice

Title: Last Sacrifice
Series: Vampire Academy #6
Author: Richelle Mead
Release Date: December 7, 2010

Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them...

Last Sacrifice - the final installment in one of my favorite book series EVER! How can I not be excited for the release of this book??

Book Review: This. A Vampire Cure for Forever

Title: This. A Vampire Cure for Forever

Author: Shaun Roundy

Published: July 2010

Book blurb: Life happens one split second at a time. Sometimes one second makes all the difference, though you rarely know until long after it passes.

Can you identify a second that changed your life? Kayla Porter can. It's the moment she met Melissa Clayton. Along with Melissa's brother Ethan, their fates intertwined and pointed to one of their deaths.

But what is fate made of, anyway? Who decides who will live and who will die, what will happen, and whether or not anyone can interfere?

Follow this thrill-ride vampire novel from one insightful revelation to the next. Experience the thrill of romance and adrenaline as friends and enemies explore fresh boundaries in a world of opportunity that existed all along, right before their eyes, but that they never before considered.

My Thoughts: With close to 150 pages and 70 chapters this book is bound to be fast-paced and intense. And it sure is! There's never a dull moment and new twists and turns awaits with very new chapter.

I loved Kayla, the main character! She was such a realistic portrait of a 17-year-old. She was insecure and hopelessly in love with the most popular guy in school. She spent her days (and nights) daydreaming about him. But at first she did next to nothing to actually get to know him. Like she said herself "I suddenly grew aware of what a timid little life I had lived for as long as I could remember. I always dreamed big and did...nothing. I felt regret and a tinge of shame." and
"I understood that if i didn't do something about my daydreams, they would never come true. It scared me to think about taking the initiative when it came to Ethan, but the thought of doing nothing and letting another opportunity slip by left a sour spot in the pit of my stomach."

This book is full with small insights and realizations like these two, which showed character growth and gave depth to the novel.

It was easy to imagine yourself in Kayla's position, she could have been me, or any other teenage girl. And Kayla was far from the only character I liked, all characters no matter how small, was well developed and had characteristic personalities. One of my favorite characters was Melissa - the queen of great comebacks and social competence! The detention scene with Kayla, Melissa and Mitch was my favorite scene in the book -the dialogs were so fun! Sadly the dialog lost some of its quirkiness and quickness later in the book - but I guess you don't always have time to joke around in a matter of life and death!

As for the vampire part of the book, Roundy offered some new interesting aspects to vampirism, and finally gave an explanation to why the world isn't overpopulated with vampires!

The story is nicely stringed together in the end, and everything gets an explanation. But in the same time the door is left open for a sequel. A sequel I would gladly read! :)

So to sum up all my thoughts; This. is a quick and fun read filled with love, friendship, action, mystery, suspense and wisdom. Read it!

Rating: 4 of 5

Find out more about this book on its website: thisvampire.com!

In My Mailbox (11/21)

From NetGalley:

My Soul To Steal by Rachel Vincent

YOU WANT MY SOUL AND MY BOYFRIEND?

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back.

See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives.

And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.

I DON'T THINK SO.

I really like this series, so I'm very happy to be able to read and review My Soul To Steal, the latest installment!

Cover Combat: Hunger by Michael Grant

In Cover Combat, US covers are being compared to Swedish covers of the same books. Today the covers of HUNGER (Gone #2) by Michael Grant are competing!

US cover

Swedish cover

For me, this is an obvious Swedish victory - I love the Swedish cover! I really like the raw look in her eyes, filled with despair.

But now it's time for you to vote, which cover is your favorite?

You can find the Cover Combat for Gone (Book 1) here. (Swedish victory that time!)

Waiting on Wednesday: Anna and the French Kiss

Title: Anna and the French Kiss
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release Date: December 2, 2010

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris until she meets Etienne St. Claire: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna and readers have long awaited?

The summary of this book may sound good, but all reviews I have read of this book keeps describing how fantastic and amazing this book is! It's no wonder that Anna and the French Kiss is on top of my wishlist! :)

Book Review: Love Sucks

Title: Love Sucks
Author: Lauren Hammond
Published: 2010

In England during the seventeen hundreds, Cara Jones had her human life ended for her and she became a creature of the night. One moment she's an adolescent young woman living her life, the next she's lurking in the streets at night looking for her next meal. The vampire slayings in England became so brutal the whole race was nearly wiped out. So Cara and the clan she called her extended family fled to the U.S. to make a home. They kept to themselves and stayed out of trouble by feeding on recently deceased corpses and cleaning out blood supplies at local hospitals. When one of the clan members makes a mistake, they are once again being hunted and Cara is the only one who makes it out alive. Cara is officially the last vampire on earth. So when Cara awakes from a two hundred year slumber, she awakes to a new city, new people, and a new way of life. Cara sets out on a journey to find her soul mate, the one person who is designed for her. Along the way she encounters a zany new friend, a jealous co worker, and a man whom she can't live without. Dr. Jared Sayers is her destiny. Will Jared give up everything he knows to be with Cara? Or will she wander the earth for the rest of eternity alone?

My thoughts: Can you imagine waking up one day - as a vampire? This is what Cara does. Confused with her new strength and sudden blood lust, she soon puts two and two together and realizes that she is a vampire. And she takes this new insight impressively well! Why concern yourself with things you can't change? Cara quickly accepts her fate and adjusts to a new lifestyle. In my opinion Cara left her old life behind so easily that she came across as almost unemotional. One thing I admired about Cara though, was how brutally honest she was! She was so sure of herself and what she wanted, and told people about her feelings instead of playing games.

The idea for this story was really good, but it could have been executed better. The story suddenly jumped days or weeks ahead of time from one sentence to the next, which of course left me really confused! The characters and the scenes could have benefited from some developing and more descriptions, and the dialogs sometimes fell flat. But when you write a book in a novella format - it's understandable that you might have to offer some ingredients to fit the format!

About 1/3 into the novel Cara falls asleep - and wakes up about 300 years later, in the 21st century! (She must have been veeery tired!) Haven't we all wondered what people who lived in the 17th century would think if they saw the world today? Or how it would be to wake up in the future? Cara does exactly that, and she is amazed with the whole new world in front of her! People dress differently, act differently and talk differently, and there are so many new inventions to adjust to. And now, being the only vampire in the world, Cara is determined to find her soul mate. But things aren't as good as they seem, a man from Cara's past is surprisingly alive and out for revenge...

This event definitely added some suspense and danger to the story, and I couldn't wait to read the dramatic quietus.

But then, the novella ended with a cliffhanger! I really wasn't expecting that! Curious readers will have to wait for the sequel A Sucker For Love (2011) to read more about Cara's adventures!

Rating: 3 of 5

Read my review with Lauren Hammond here! Follow Lauren on Twitter or visit her website/blog here.

Mini Reviews (XI)

Mini Reviews of non-vampire books I have read lately.
Part XI: Romantic comedies edition


Forget You - Jennifer Echols
There’s a lot Zoey would like to forget. Like how her father has knocked up his twenty-four- year old girlfriend. Like Zoey’s fear that the whole town will find out about her mom’s nervous breakdown. Like darkly handsome bad boy Doug taunting her at school. Feeling like her life is about to become a complete mess, Zoey fights back the only way she knows how, using her famous attention to detail to make sure she’s the perfect daughter, the perfect student, and the perfect girlfriend to ultra-popular football player Brandon. But then Zoey is in a car crash, and the next day there’s one thing she can’t remember at all—the entire night before...

Jennifer Echols has done it again! Written a great romantic book that is! While Forget You doesn't get past Going Too Far on my personal top list, it is a rich story with great characters. With Forget You Jennifer Echols strenghten her position as one of my favorite authors!

Rating: 4 of 5


Girls, Boys and Other Hazardous Materials - Rosalind Wiseman
Looking for a new beginning after a terrible mean girl past, Charlie Healey realizes there’s no escaping high school drama

Charlie Healey thinks Harmony Falls is the beginning of a whole new life. Middle school was brutal. But high school is Charlie’s big chance to start over and stay out of drama, except that on her first day she runs into Will, her ex–best friend, who had moved away. Now a varsity athlete and hotter than Charlie remembered, Will hangs with the crowd running the school. But Charlie doesn’t understand their power until an innocent delivery guy falls victim to a near-deadly hazing prank...

I liked this book a lot! It was fun, realistic and very high school (I love books and movies set in high school) with football players, cheerleaders, beer kegs and yearbooks! (Did you know that the movie Mean Girls was based on one of Wiseman's books? So cool!) Girls, Boys and Other Hazardous Materials is Rosalind Wiseman's debut young adult novel - and what a debut it is. Well done! :)

Rating: 4.5 of 5


Split By a Kiss - Luisa Plaja
Jo has just moved to America with her mum. On her first day in her new school, she seems to be adopted by the It girls, and is invited to one of their parties. There, she meets Jake Matthews, officially the hottest boy in school, and when Jake wants to kiss her, she can't believe her luck. But the reality of being kissed by Jake is not quite as great as the fantasy... and Jo has a choice to make: should she carry on, kiss Jake and secure her position in the It crowd - or should she tell him where to get off and risk relegation back to the land of the ordinary...?

At this moment - Jo splits. She's Josie the Cool - girlfriend of Jake, member of the It crowd. She's also Jo the Nerd - rejected by the It crowd, single... Will her two halves ever come back together again?

Jo is literally split by a kiss! After the kiss Jo is split into two persons: Josie the cool, a girl who would do anything to stay in the it crowd, and Jo the Nerd: normal, boring Jo who believs standing true to to your beliefs and being yourself is more important than being popular. After the kiss the book follows both Jo and Josie's stories, in alternating chapters.

This is definitely an interesting and unusual format for me, which made the reading very fun! You can choose wether to read the book page by page as it is written, or choose to read either "cool Josie" or "nerdy Jo"´s story first, and later the other version. It's basically two books in one! :)

The book centers around the importance of great friendship, being yourself and standing up for your beliefs. Mix that up with humour, love and destiny - and you'll have a fun and sweet read!

Rating: 4 of 5

10 % off from the Book Depository?

Would you like a 10% off coupon from the Book Depository? Everyone who leaves a comment on this post with their e-mail addresses will get one! :)

Perfect if you're planning on buying books for christmas, or just something to spoil yourself! :p And remember that the Book Depository offers free shipping to (almost) the entire world!

So, leave your email address if you're interested!

Book Review: Lord of Misrule

Title: Lord of Misrule
Series: Morganville Vampires (Book 5)
Author: Rachel Caine
Published: 2009

Summary: In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, the master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.

Violent black cyclone clouds hover, promising a storm of devastating proportions as student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against elements both natural and unnatural.

My thoughts: This is what I'm talking about! Morganville Vampies at its best! Lord of Misrule is filled with action, war, love and surprises.

After Bishop's return Morganville is in chaos; the regular vampires vs humans fight is more distinct than ever, but now both vampires and humans are turning against their own kind, and won't stop at nothing until they rule Morganville. In this war, you will never know who's on your side, and who you can't trust - a lesson Claire will learn over and over again...

Morganville is never a safe place to stay in, but now it's worse than ever! Vampires and people go missing everyday, there are riots and tumult everywhere you look, and the city is literally burning. Then just when you think it can't get worse, a dangerous storm is heading towards Morganville...

Lord of Misrule also introduces us to a few new Morganville residents and one of them, Ada, was quite a character! Having created both Myrnin and Ada, I'm very impressed by Ms Cain's imagination and character development! I mean, how can you not love Myrnin in all his craziness?

Rating: 5 of 5

Previous books in this series:
1. Glass Houses
2. The Dead Girl's Dance
3. Midnight Alley
4. Feast of Fools

Waiting on Wednesday: The Mockingbirds

Title: The Mockingbirds
Author: Daisy Whitney
Release Date: November 2

Summary:
Some schools have honor codes.
Others have handbooks.
Themis Academy has the Mockingbirds.

Themis Academy is a quiet boarding school with an exceptional student body that the administration trusts to always behave the honorable way--the Themis Way. So when Alex is date raped during her junior year, she has two options: stay silent and hope someone helps her, or enlist the Mockingbirds--a secret society of students dedicated to righting the wrongs of their fellow peers.

This book sounds really good!

The Mockingbirds was released a week ago, so keep your eyes open for reviews of it (I know I am)!

Read & Watched in September & October

Read:
1. You - Charles Benoit
2. My Soul To Keep - Rachel Vincent
3. Split by a Kiss - Luisa Plaja
4. Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins
5. Feast of Fools - Rachel Caine
6. Lord of Misrule - Rachel Caine
7. Carpe Corpus - Rachel Caine


Movies:

1. My Brother's Girlfriend
2. The Killers
3. Knight and Day
4. The Joneses
5. The Last Song

Book Review: My Soul To Keep

Title: My Soul To Keep
Series: Soul Screamers (Book 3)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Published: 2010

Summary: Kaylee has one addiction: her very hot, very popular boyfriend, Nash. A banshee like Kaylee, Nash understands her like no one else. Nothing can come between them.

Until something does.

Demon’s breath. No, not the toothpaste-challenged kind. The Netherworld kind. The kind that really can kill you. Somehow, the super-addictive substance has made its way to the human world. But how? Kaylee and Nash have to cut off the source and protect their friends—one of whom is already hooked.

And when the epidemic hits too close to home, Kaylee will have to risk everything to save those she loves

My Thoughts: With the Soul Screamers books Rachel Vincent has created a fascinating tale created around banshee legends. The world she has created is vivid and believable, and I have to say that the Netherworld gives me chills!

This installment was pretty dark, and brought some new conflicts and problems into Kaylee's hard and far from perfect life. A person she trusts betrays her deeply in this book, but Kaylee stays strong and uncompromising for the things she believes in. Impressing!

As always, I have to say that I love Tod's character! I love his sarcasm and the way he treats Kaylee, so nice!

Lastly, if you haven't read this innovative series yet - pick it up right away! You won't regret it.

Rating: 4.5 of 5