Cover Combat: It's Not Summer Without You

In Cover Combat a Swedish cover is being compared to the US/UK cover of the same book. Today we're comparing the covers of It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han.


US cover:


Swedish cover:




I love that you really can tell that by the US cover that this book is in the same series as The Summer I Turned Pretty. The light, white background color, and I'm guessing also the cover models are the same.


The Swedish cover is very different from the cover of the first books in this series - which is good, because that cover was hideous! This cover really screams summer by the beach! But perhaps the girl on the cover looks to happy to match the feelings of the main character in this book?

Which cover is your favorite? I really like them both!

Last week I posted a Cover Combat of the first book in this series; The Summer I Turned Pretty. Click here to see those covers!

Sweet Venom Bookmark Giveaway!

Thanks to Tera Lynn Childs I have three signed Sweet Venom bookmarks to give away!

Contest is open worldwide until March 11!

Fill out THIS FORM to enter!

And don't forget to answer my Blog Survey!

Book Review: A Touch of Dead

Title: A Touch of Dead
Series: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Mysteries
Author: Charlaine Harris
Published: 2009

New York Times bestselling author Charlaine Harris has re-imagined the supernatural world with her “spunky” Southern Vampire novels starring telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse. Now, for the first time, here is every Sookie Stackhouse short story ever written—together in one volume.

Stories include “Fairy Dust,” “One Word Answer,” “Dracula Night,” “Lucky,” and “Giftwrap.”

My Thoughts: A Touch of Dead is a collection of all Sookie Stackhouse short stories ever written.

Fairy Dust takes place after the events in Dead to the World (Book #4). Claudine and Claude asks for Sookie's help to figure out who killed their triplet. This short story didn't engage me much. I didn't care whether Sookie would find the murderer or not. If the story did anything for me, it was making me dislike the fairy siblings, especially Claude.

Dracula Night is set before the action of Dead as a Doornail (Book #5), and is the only short story that involves my favorite character: Eric Northman. Makes you think I would love this one, doesn't it? Well, I didn't. Mainly because Eric wasn't his normal self, instead he was giddy like a little girl meeting her big idol Justin Bieber. And Eric's idol in this case was Dracula, which he hopes will attend his big celebration of Dracula Night...
My favorite character in this short story was Pam, she has such a great sense of humor!

One Word Answer is set after the events in Dead as a Doornail (Book #5)
In this short story Mr. Cataliades shows up in Bon Temps late at night, to tell Sookie about her cousin's death. It was quite interesting to get to learn more about the events surrounding Hadley's death, and Sookie and Hadley's relationship. When I read Definitely Dead (Book #6) which deals with the aftermath of Hadley's death, I was very confused because the reader never hears about Hadley's death. Suddenly Sookie has a cousin who's dead, and is going to her home to pack up her stuff... So this short story definitely gave some more insights to Hadley's death, and how Sookie got the news. I like that this story added some more content to the Sookie's books.

Lucky takes place after All Together Dead (Book #7).
Sookie and Amelia team up to solve a breaking and entering at law firm. Probably the longest story of them all, and the least supernatural of them, even if it involved two witches. Got a bit of a Nancy Drew feeling to it, and felt like a "complete" short story.

Gift Wrap takes place before Dead and Gone (Book #9).
Sookie is dreading spending Christmas all alone, but when she takes a walk in the woods surrounding her house she stumbles upon an injured were. She takes him home, protects him from a rivaling pack who is out to kill him, and cleans his injuries. It seems like Sookie doesn't have to spend Christmas all alone after all!
There was a twist in the end of the story that I didn't see coming, very sneaky! But also, very creepy!

Overall: Charlaine Harris writes in the introduction to this book: "Sookie's life and history are so complex that I didn't know if I could create a coherent piece of short fiction that would do her justice. I'm still not sure I have, but I've enjoyed trying. Some efforts have been more successful than others." And Harris couldn't be more right! Some of these stories were definitely better than the others, but sadly most stories was just so-so. If you aren't a BIG Sookie fan, I see no reason for you to "have to" read this book. It doesn't add much more information to Sookie's life. But if you have some time to spare and are looking for a few quick reads, give it a try. You might end up appreciating it more than I did!

Rating: 2.5 of 5

Waiting on Wednesday (2/23)

Title: THE LIAR SOCIETY
Authors: Lisa and Laura Roecker
Relase Date: March 1st, 2011

Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

Kate,
I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

Interesting plot, but what really makes me want to read this book is the cover. It's awesome!

Book Review: Angel Burn

Title: Angel Burn
Author: L. A. Weatherly
Release Date: May 2011 (USA) October 2010 (UK)

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow that Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil.

My Thoughts: You now when you sometimes can tell that you are going to love a book within its first pages? Well, I didn't even have to finish the prologue until I knew that Angel Burn was going to be an amazing book! And it was.

I have only read a few angel books during the past years, and since those have featured guardian angels and fallen angels the angels in this book really stood out! The angels Weatherly has created is very original in my opinion, they are huntingly beautiful, but trust me, there are nothing angelic about their actions! Alex and Willow might be the only ones who can stop their evil plan... if only they learn how to trust each other.

I loved how Alex and Willow's relationship developed. They started out hating each other, but as time went they slowly opened up to each other, and hate turned to curiousity which turned to affection. It all felt really natural and realistic. The fact that we got to read from both Willow's and Alex's points of view (as well as occasionally from other people's points of view) only made this book more interesting and fun, and you couldn't wait until other characters found out what you already knew.

The ending of this book was a bit surprising, things don't go as you think they will and expect, but that only made it more realistic. And it also opened up for a coming sequel! (Angel Fire)

If you like angels, a hot bad boy with depth, a brave and caring heroin, love, action and roadtrips - this is the book for you!

Btw, how beautiful isn't that cover? So gorgeous!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

* Book source: Net Galley

Blog Survey!

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Write as much as you want, or as little as you want, good or bad - I want your thoughts!

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Cover Combat: The Summer I Turned Pretty

In Cover Combat a Swedish cover is being compared to the US/UK cover of the same book. Today we're comparing the covers of The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han.


US cover:

Swedish covers:

Hardcover

Paperback

Which cover do you like the most?

For me, this is a US win! The Swedish hard cover is really...ugly actually. Looks like the cover to a boring, sad historical novel. The paperback cover is a big improvement, and has more of a summery feeling to it. But I love the sunlight on the US cover, plus we get to see the faces of the persons on the cover, which is always nice!

Which cover do you prefer? Leave your opinions in a comment!

Book Review: Paranormalcy

Title: Paranormalcy
Author: Kiersten White
Published: August 2010

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My Thoughts: I am sure that most of you have read raving reviews of this book around the blogosphere during the last six months. And - the high ratings are well deserved. This book is funny, light and fluffy - but it also has devastating parts of danger, death and destruction. The dark parts of it actually surprised me a bit, but this book succeeded with the almost impossible task of being both light and funny, and dark and exciting, at the same time! Well done!

Since Evie has grown up working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, and living in their center, she is not a regular high school girl. In fact, she is quite obsessed with the "real world", and her big dream is to attend a typical high school with cliques, cheerleaders and...lockers (!). Living in Sweden and attending a boring Swedish school, I actually understand Evie's fascination with high school - judging from movies and TV shows it looks like a lot of fun!

Evie also loves wearing pink, leopard, boots and bling - such a girly girl! But I guess when you are the only young person around, you have to cheer yourself up somehow!

There are two guys competing for Evie's heart. One of them is a fairy: amazingly beautiful and warm, but also cagey and untrustworthy. The other one, well no one is quite sure what he is and what his mission is... Can Evie trust either of these guys?

As I mentioned before, this book was a bit darker then I expected and it definitely contained some twists and turns. The build up to the climax was creepily good, but the ending itself disappointed me a bit. I felt like it was a bit rushed and not as dramatic as I thought it would be.
That being said, I really liked this book. The characters were great. Evie especially was a very likeable character and her relationships with other people felt realistic and genuine. Read this book and you will get a paranormal mystery mixed with fun girliness!

Rating: 4 of 5

Waiting on Wednesday (2/16)

Title: FALLING UNDER
Author: Gwen Hayes
Release Date: March 1st, 2011

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul

Ooh, sounds interesting! Who, or rather what, is Haden?

SWEET VENOM Cover Reveal!

Three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in a world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

The first cover to Tera Lynn Childs new YA trilogy Medusa Girls is here! The first book in the trilogy, Sweet Venom, is scheduled to be released in October 2011. Find out more about the book here:

Tera's website

Goodreads

What do you think of the cover? Isn't it simple, yet beautiful? Be sure to add this book to your wishlists!

In My Mailbox (2/13)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

I got this books in my mailbox (and inbox) during the past week:

From the library:

It's Not Summer Without You - Jenny Han

Last year, all of Belly's dreams came true and the thought of missing a summer in Cousins Beach was inconceivable. But like the rise and fall of the ocean tide, things can change--just like that. Suddenly the time she's always looked forward to most is something she dreads. And when Jeremiah calls to say Conrad has disappeared, Belly must decide how she will spend this summer: chasing after the boy she loves, or finally letting him go.

Won E-book:

Serenity Lost - Amy Romine

He told her let go, she did and his world changed forever...

Their brief heated meeting one fateful night had singed itself into their minds. Unable to forget but also completely unknowing of the others identity, has sealed their fate. The fire smoldered quietly in each of them as they tried to move on with their lives.

Eric Stiles was in the middle of chaos, searching for a killer.

Hunted by an obsessed psychopath Rebecca Gailen was trying to be strong.

The world stopped for a moment as they looked up and saw the other standing just feet away.

His heart lurched, her armor shattered and the world started again as Eric’s brother, Charlie, appeared to take her hand.

Family loyalty isn’t a choice. When Rebecca’s stalker rages out of control, Eric’s decision haunts him and he struggles to stay away. Can he remain loyal to his brother, even if it means abandoning Rebecca when she may need him the most?

Free E-books:

The Iron King - Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Before That Night - Lauren Barnholdt

Prequel novella to One Night That Changes Everything.

Find out what happened "before that night".

Even if faeries isn't my thing, I'm really excited about The Iron King! I've read soo many raving reviews of that series, so hopefully I will like it as well.

The Summer I Turned Pretty wasn't that good in my opinion, but I'm hoping that the series will improve with the second book, It's Not Summer Without You.

I haven't read One Night That Changes Everything by Lauren Barnholdt, but I will read the prequel Before That Night, and if I love it I might have to buy ONTCE! :)

Mini Reviews XV: Rules of Attraction, Being Nikki & The Book of Tomorrow

Rules of Attraction - Simone Elkeles
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.

Perfect Chemistry, the first book in this series, is one of my favorite books of all time! I loved the characters, especially Alex, and was happy when I found out that both Alex and Britanny was going to make a cameo appearance in Rules of Attraction. But sadly I think I waited to long to read Rules of Attraction (two years?) because I couldn't connect with them at all. But now over to the main characters of this book; Carlos and Kiara!

Carlos is of course the ultimate bad boy; hot, cocky, foulmouthed, a gangmember and Mexican. But surprisingly - both for him and everyone else - he is a very good person underneath his rough exterior. And when he meets Kiara, that gentle side of him slowly submurges.

Kiara is a sweet girl, but insecure and shy because of her stuttering. When she meets Carlos her fiercer sides shows, and she gets bolder and bolder, and her bluntness shines through.

I liked Kara, but I didn't love her. Therefor, this novel will "only" get a

Rating of 4.5 of 5


Being Nikki - Meg Cabot
Things aren't pretty for Emerson Watts.

Em was sure there couldn't be anything worse than being a brainiac the body of a teenaged supermodel. But it turned out she was wrong. Because that supermodel could turn out to have a mother who's gone mysteriously missing, a brother who's shown up on her doorstep demanding answers, a former best friend who's intent on destroying Stark Enterprises to avenge the death of his lost love, and a British heartthrob who's written a song about her that's topping the charts.

How can Em balance all that with school, runway shows, and weekend jaunts to St. Johns — especially when she's got ex-boyfriends crawling out of the woodwork who want more than just a photo op; a sister who is headed to the high school cheerleading championships; a company she represents that seems to be turning to the dark side...
Not to mention trying to convince the love of her life that models aren't really airheads after all...especially one model in particular.

I'm a big fan of Meg Cabot, but Airhead (the first book in this series) wasn't one of my favorite books of her. Being Nikki however, was far better! The book started out quite slow, but the ending was a big improvement, both for the book itself and for the entire series!

I want to get my hands on Runaway, the final book in thise series, right away!

Rating: 3.75 of 5


The Book of Tomorrow - Cecelia Ahern
Tamara Goodwin has always got everything she's ever wanted. Born into a family of wealth, she grew up in a mansion with its own private beach, a wardrobe full of designer clothes and all that a girl could ever wish for. She's always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought to tomorrow. But then suddenly her dad is gone and life for Tamara and her mother changes forever. Left with a mountain of debt, they have no choice but to sell everything they own and move to the country. Nestled next to Kilsaney Castle, their gatehouse is a world away from Tamara's childhood. With her mother shut away with grief, and her aunt busy tending to her, Tamara is lonely and bored and longs to return to Dublin.When a travelling library passes through Kilsaney Demesne, Tamara is intrigued. Her eyes rest on a mysterious large leather bound tome locked with a gold clasp and padlock. What she discovers within the pages takes her breath away and shakes her world to its core...

Unlike Ahern's previous books, the heroin of The Book of Tomorrow is a teenage girl. So even if this book is marked as an adult book, it is equally fitting for young adults.

Like many other Ahern books, this novel contains a bit of magic. This time showing through "The Book of Tomorrow" (you will have to read the book yourself to find out more!)

The book had great character development, Tamara started out as a spoiled, winy brat, but unlike many others she knew that she acted badly and had faults. With time she became more open, down to earth and caring. I liked the great friendship she developed with Sister Ignatis, a local nun.

Like Tamara, I got really frustrated and angry at her aunt. She was just too clingy, spying and controlling. I am impressed Tamara handled it as good as she did! Tamara couldn't have had it easy, living with that aunt, her depressed mum, and an uncle who didn't say more than a few words a day...

Filled with great frienship, love, mystery and a little magic - this is the perfect book to curl up with next to the fireplace! I also have to comment on the beautiful cover, it truly looks even more wonderful in person.

Rating: 4 of 5

Waiting on Wednesday (2/9)

Title: Wake Unto Me
Author: Lisa Cach
Release Date: March 31

A haunted castle, a handsome young man dead for four hundred years, one heck of a scary portrait of a witch, and a treasure hunt -- not to mention a princess for a roommate! -- all await 15 year old American girl Caitlyn Monahan when she earns a scholarship to a French boarding school.

There are secrets behind the stone walls of Chateau de la Fortune, buried for centuries along with the mystery of who killed Raphael, the charming ghost who visits Caitlyn at night. But as Caitlyn unearths the history of the castle, nothing scares her as badly as the secret she learns about herself, and the reason she was chosen to come to the Fortune School.

And nothing breaks her heart as badly as falling in love with a dead guy.

Interesting summary, cool cover - I'm in.

Mini Reviews XIV: Populazzi, The Seven Rays & Prophecy of the Sisters

Populazzi - Elise Allen
Cara has always dreamed of being a Populazzi, one of the popular crowd. But it’s not until she changes schools that she gets a shot at it, thanks to her best friend Claudia’s crazy plan. The idea is simple: The rungs of The Ladder are relationships. First get a boyfriend who's ranked low, then climb up through more boyfriends until you're not just one of the Populazzi, but the Supreme Populazzi.

Populazzi was an interesting debut novel that definitely made you think about the lengths some people will go to become popular.

I thought Cara's friends and classmates would react stronger than they did, and be more shocked about her new looks. If I would show up like for example a goth one day, I'm sure people would ask questions and gossip about it. And if I changed my appearances again the next month, well I'm sure people would consider that weird!

I am also surprised that Cara's plan worked as well as it did! (Well for a while at least). Even if Cara made some bad choices throughout this novel, what mattered most in the end was that she was finally true to herself and listened to her heart and brain. Even if everyone could she that her plan was bound to fail at some point, the things she learned about herself and others throughout her journey up the populazzi ladder was probably worth it. I could tell that she grew a lot as a person, and that the experience made her stronger in many ways!

Rating: 3 of 5

The Seven Rays - Jessica Bendinger

You are more than you think you are.
THAT IS THE ANONYMOUS MESSAGE that Beth Michaels receives right before she starts seeing things. Not just a slept-through my-alarm-clock, late-for-homeroom, haven't had-my-caffeine-fix kind of seeing things. It all starts with some dots, annoying pink dots that pop up on and over her mom and her best friend's face. But then things get out of control and Beth is seeing people's pasts, their fears, their secrets, their desires. Everyone thinks she's crazy and she's pretty sure she agrees with them. But crazy doesn't explain the gold envelopes that have started arriving, containing seeing keys and mysterious tarot cards...

When I saw that this book was written by Jessica Bendinger, the same person who wrote Bring It On, I got so excited! Bring It On is such a fun movie! This book though? Not that funny. It started out slow, but I kept reading, interested in the reason behind Beth's mysterious sights. Or not overly interested, how am I kidding? The reason I kept reading was a hot boy of course; Richie. Sadly like many other YA novels, Beth and Richie's relationship develops unbelievably fast. One week they hardly even know each others names, the next week they're head over heels in love. And this book just keep getting weirder, we are soon introduced to the other "rays" all of them with ordinary, lovely names of course (yes, I'm being sarcastic).

The Rays, all with different abilities (some better than others), supposedly has a great mission in life. I actually wanted to know what they were born to do, and what they could do if they worked together. But when they finally met and used their powers for a mutual goal, well the goal isn't that special at all. Sure, they did a good thing, but did they save the world from destruction? Hardly.

Needless to say this book, which started out okay, soon became too strange for my taste. A disappointment!

Rating: 2 of 5

Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink
In Michelle Zink's debut novel, orphaned twin sister Lia and Alice Milthorpe are yoked together in an ancient prophecy that makes them enemies and could destroy them both. If Lia can break this familial curse, she can not only save her relationship with her beloved boyfriend; she can finally resolve the mystery behind her parents' death.

Okay, Alice was downright creepy! I can't understand how two twin sisters can go from being best friends to hardly speaking, or knowing, each other! Sure people can change and you might not support their choices, but they are still family, right?

When I started reading I got a bit surprised when I found out that the story was set in Victorian New York - somehow I had missed that part when I had read about the book earlier.

This book had an interesting storyline and definitely contained some creepy parts! The plot moved quite slowly sometimes though, and I especially got frustrated with Lia's passiveness and her refusal to confront Alice.

The beloved boyfriend mentioned in the summary above? Not that beloved. I didn't get the feeling that Lia was crazy about him, he on the other hand showed more affection for her.

This book reminded me a lot of the Gemma Doyle series by Libba Bray. So if you are a fan of that series, or like historical dramas overall, this might be the series for you! It wasn't my type of book though.

Rating: 3 of 5

In My Mailbox (2/6)

From the library:

Runaway by Meg Cabot
Emerson Watts is on the run: from school, from work, from her family, from her friends, from herself.

With everyone she loves furious with her for something she can't explain, and nothing but the live Stark Angel fashion show on New Year's Eve to look forward to, Em's reached the end of her rope... what's the point of even going on?

But when she discovers the truth about Nikki's secret, she knows there's only one person she can turn to.

Will Christopher be able to put aside his personal feelings and help her expose her employer to the world? Is it even fair to get Christopher involved—since if he agrees, there's every chance that Stark Enterprises will try to have them both killed—this time, permanently?

Maybe it would be better for Em to just keep on running.


I just finished Being Nikki, and after the way that book ended I can't wait to dig into this one!

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren

Reading more than one book at the time?

Hello, readers!
Today I have a question for you all! Do you usually read one book at the time, or can you handle reading several books at once?

I'm usually a one book girl myself, but sometimes I find myself starting new books without finishing the one I'm already reading.

Like right now. I'm currently reading Paranormalcy, and I have also started reading A Touch of Dead. Then I have Shadow Souls as an audio book, which I play in my MP3 before going to sleep. As if that isn't enough, I also have a few e-books that I'm currently reading at my laptop!

The result of all this? Lots of unfinished books! Fortunately I'm not mixing up the plotlines, the books are too different for that, I just never seem to be able to finish any of the books!
I really should force myself to finish of these books one at the time, and not start reading more books in the meantime...

What about you? Can you handle reading several books at the same time? Or do you have enough discipline to only read one book at the time? Leave a comment!

Book Review: Last Sacrifice

Title: Last Sacrifice
Series: Vampire Academy (#6)
Author: Richelle Mead
Published: December 2010

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.

She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: assassination. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?

My Thoughts: Before I started reading this book I read a review of this book where the reviewer was shocked by the murderer's identity. She couldn't see it coming at all! So needless to say, this instantly got me thinking about unlikely murderers and I soon decided on one candidate.

While reading this book I got a few new candidates that seemed more likely, but I never did let go of my first guess. And guess what? My guess was right! So the big reveal of the murderer didn't come as a big surprise to me! (I hope I'm not spoiling this book for any of you now!)

As fans of this series know, the love triangle between Rose, Dimitri and Adrian has been a big part of the series. And in Last Sacrifice Rose finally makes her choice between them! Quite naturally it doesn't go as smoothly as she had hoped, but the decision had to be done!

I have to praise Richelle Mead for creating the bond between Lissa and Rose, which allows Rose to be in Lissa's head and see the world from her eyes. This bond allowes readers to be in two places at the same time; to follow both Rose's struggle to find an unknown sibling, and Lissa's problems in court, as well as their mutual search for the murderer.

I have to say that Last Sacrifice was a good conclusion to the series. This series has been amazing, but I believe it was the right time to put an ending to it. Some series seem to drag on for too long, making the content suffer. (Hellooo House of Night series!)

I'm very excited about the spin-off series, Bloodlines, however! While there isn't any official information out about it yet (that I know of), Mead has shared some info reagaring it. And what I have read so far sounds great! It sounds like it's going to be different from the Vampire Academy series, since it isn't set in the vampire world, but in a normal human high school.
I think this is a smart choice of Mead, because readers aren't going to grow tired of the vampire-dhampir world from the Vampire Academy series. Now I really look forward to a fresh new series!

Rating: 4.5 of 5

Previous books in this series:
1. Vampire Academy
2. Frostbite
3. Shadow Kiss
4. Blood Promise
5. Spirit Bound

Waiting on Wednesday (2/2)

Title: STEEL
Author: CARRIE VAUGHN
Release Date: MARCH 15, 2011


When Jill finds a rusty sword tip on a Caribbean beach, she is instantly intrigued—and little expects it will transport her through time to the deck of a pirate ship. Will a dark enchantment, salty kisses, and a duel with an evil pirate captain leave her stranded in the eighteenth century forever?

Drawing on piratical lore and historical fact, Carrie Vaughn creates a vivid world of swaying masts and swelling seas, where blood magic overrules the laws of nature, romance is in the air, and death can come at the single slip of a sword.

Pirates? An evil pirate captain? Salty kisses? I'm SO in!

Read and Watched in January

Books:

1. Nailed - Jennifer Laurens (Mini Review)
2. Reaper - Rachel Vincent (Review)
3. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain (Review)
4. Prophecy of the Sisters - Michelle Zink (Mini Review)
5. The Book of Tomorrow - Cecelia Ahern (Mini Review)
6. Rules of Attraction - Simone Elkeles (Mini Review)
7. Being Nikki - Meg Cabot (Mini Review)


Movies:
1. Grown Ups
2. John Tucker Must Die
3. Wedding Daze
4. Step Up 3D
5. Salt
6. The Tourist
7. The Wedding Date