Friday, May 31, 2013

A Look Back At May


KINDLY TAKEN FROM JAMIE AT THE PERPETUAL PAGE-TURNER

IMAGE FROM May


May In One Word
Quick

5 THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN MAy:

1. Went To My Sister In Laws Northern California Bridal Shower
2. My Nephew turned 2
3. Went to The Ellen Show.. Kind of, with My Friend Tabitha and Her Mom
4. Went to Sharks VS Kings Play-off Game! 
5. Disneyland For My Mom and Aunts Birthday

5 SONGS THAT WERE MOST POPULAR ON MY IPOD THIS MONTH:

1. I Want Crazy By Hunter Hayes

2. Gone,Gone,Gone By Phillip Phillips

3. Come & Get It By Selena Gomez
4. Lego House By Ed Sheerhan
5. Mirror By Justin Timberlake
 

TOP 2 BOOKS I READ THIS MONTH:

1. Gates of Paradise By Melissa De La Cruz
2. The Truth About Me and You By Amanda Grace

MOST POPULAR REVIEW THIS MONTH

(I do this based on Stats)

The Madman's Daughter By Megan Shepard


 
MOST POPULAR 4 BLOG POSTS OVERALL THIS MONTH

3 NEW OBSESSIONS IN May

1. Peach Snapple Tea
2. Instagram
3. Candy Crush!

2 THINGS I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO IN june

1. My 1 Year Wedding Anniversary
2. My Sister In Laws So.Cal Bridal Shower

Thursday, May 30, 2013

The Madman's Daughter


Summary:
"Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.
Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.
Inspired by H. G. Wells's classic The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Madman's Daughter is a dark and breathless Gothic thriller about the secrets we'll do anything to know and the truths we'll go to any lengths to protect."
WHAT THE FUCK?! 

That is the best way for me to describe The Madman's Daughter.
I am still not even sure if I like this book or not. There is a lot about this book that I liked and appreciated. I mean I was addicted to reading it! However, there were moments that were very frustrating and the ending.. UGH! The ENDING! 
The Madman's Daughter does not give you what you want as a reader and I think sometimes that is what makes it hard to be a reviewer, because just because the author doesn't give the reader what they want doesn't mean the book is a bad book.  So this is where I struggle.  
My only actually writing problem with this book, is that the back and forth was a little too much and at times had me wanting to just skip through it. 

Overall. Good Book. Just Be Forewarned, that you may get disappointed and annoyed at times. Oh and creepy, the book is REALLY creepy! 

Friday, May 24, 2013

The Girl With The Iron Touch (Steampunk Chronicles #3)



Summary:
"When mechanical genius Emily is kidnapped by rogue automatons, Finley Jayne and her fellow misfits fear the worst. What's left of their archenemy, The Machinist, hungers to be resurrected, and Emily must transplant his consciousness into one of his automatons—or forfeit her friends' lives. With Griffin being mysteriously tormented by the Aether, the young duke's sanity is close to the breaking point. Seeking help, Finley turns to Jack Dandy, but trusting the master criminal is as dangerous as controlling her dark side. When Jack kisses her, Finley must finally confront her true feelings for him...and for Griffin. Meanwhile, Sam is searching everywhere for Emily, from Whitechapel's desolate alleyways to Mayfair's elegant mansions. He would walk into hell for her, but the choice she must make will test them more than they could imagine. To save those she cares about, Emily must confront The Machinist's ultimate creation—an automaton more human than machine. And if she's to have any chance at triumphing, she must summon a strength even she doesn't know she has...."
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this series! I love how each series has focused on different characters, but still been able to focus on the other as well. This time we really learn more about Emily, and we add a new member to the group (kinda) Mila. Someone I wish we saw more of was Jasper... So, I am a little curious what will be going on with his character. Cross really has master the give a little and take a little aspect of writing. Giving me something I want, then taunting me with the next book. Also, so far in the series, there hasn't been a book I hated and she hasn't done anything to make me hate the characters or plot line either. Which I can't say about a lot of other series I have read lately. My only complaint is I wish the books were just a LITTLE longer, I want to see a tad more character development. Oh and THANK YOU for more Jack Dandy. I missed him in The Girl in the Clockwork Collar.

Overall, Cross knocked it out of the park again. I am always enraptured in the series and I highly recommend you read it, if you have yet to do so.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

The Gates of Paradise (Blue Bloods, #7)

Summary:
"Schuyler Van Alen is running out of time. The Dark Prince of Hell is storming the Gates of Paradise, intent on winning the heavenly throne for good. This time he has his greatest angels by his side, Abbadon and Azrael—Jack and Mimi Force, as they are known in the Coven.
Or so he thinks. Even as Lucifer assigns Jack and Mimi the tasks of killing their true loves, the Force twins secretly vow to defeat the Dark Prince once and for all. But how far will Mimi and Jack go to conceal their real loyalties?
Meanwhile, former vampire Bliss Llewellyn has joined forces with Lawson, the greatest wolf of the underworld, to free his people from their imprisonment in Hell. As they struggle against impossible odds, an ancient message, woven into the very fabric of time, reveals just how much depends on the success of their mission.
Lucifer seeks the key to the Gate of Promise, and when Schuyler is taken captive and delivered straight to Hell, she must make an unthinkable choice—the same one the archangel Michael was forced to make during the Crisis in Rome. Will Schuyler find the strength to do what he could not?
The epic, heartbreaking Blue Bloods series comes to a close with this final novel about staggering courage, unbearable sacrifice, and the immortality of true love."

Man oh man, did this book come full circle! I enjoyed every moment of it and if you are a fan of the series, I do not think you will be disappointed. I am SO very excited that De La Cruz will continue the story lines in a new series. Since I am not fully ready to let these characters go.


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers I Love

Hosted By The Broke and The Bookish

FACT: I am a cover whore.
So, like 90% of my book choices are based on whether or not I like the cover.
Which means... this is hard for me to narrow down, but  I will try my best.

1. 




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3.


4.


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10.


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12.


 13.




Friday, May 17, 2013

The Au Pairs (The Au Pairs, #1)

Summary:
"Summer in the city? Way overrated. Everybody who's anybody in New York City summers in the Hamptons. Mara, Eliza, and Jacqui all want a piece of the action, all for different reasons.So the girls answer a classified ad to become au pairs. How bad can it be, watching a couple of kids on the beach all day? They've got the swank address, the sweet ride, and an all-access pass to the hottest social scene on the East Coast. It's shaping up to be the summer of their lives."
Plot: The Au Pairs plot line is a pretty predictable summer read and overall kind of vapid. However, I did enjoy the name dropping and the essence of the Hamptons.

Characters: Mara quickly becomes the main character of the series and easily most like-able. While Jacqui quickly became the most annoying and Eliza the one with the most growth.

Final Thoughts: I am very impressed how Melissa DeLaCruz is a versatile author and how whenever you read her books, you she transforms. Certains authors have a trademark way of writing that you know it is them, but DeLaCruz is full of writing surprises. With that being said The Au Pairs, would be the least favorite book I have read of hers, I will continue to read the series to see if the plot gets stronger.. However, I cannot see where it can go.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Paper Valentine By Brenna Yovanoff

Summary:
"The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.
For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.
With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.
Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between."

I found Paper Valentine to be a very captivating and pretty fast paced book. I liked how their was a paranormal element to the book, but that it was understated... like it happens normally. However, I would of liked a little more of an explanation on that front. I was pretty interested in the story line until midway through the book it was obvious where the plot was going and it kind of got old but I powered through it. Finn and Hannah's relationship is kind of cute, but I felt no real connection with it. Would definitely read more from this author, but Paper Valentine ended up being a disappointment.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday: Dealing With Tough Subjects


1. Go Ask Alice By Anonymous

2. Mick Harte Was Here By Barbara Park

3. The Book Thief By Markus Zusak 

4. My Sister's Keeper By Jodi Picoult

5. If I Stay by Gayle Forman

6. Room By Emma Donoghue

7. A Scattered Life By Karen McQuestion

8. What Remains By Carole Radziwill

9. Please Ignore Vera Dietz By A.S. King

10. The Fault In Our Stars By John Green





Thursday, May 9, 2013

Meeting Gayle Forman

This Post Is LONG Overdue!!! On April 22nd. I had the pleasure of attending a Gayle Forman Meet and Greet at my local Burbank Public Library. If I Stay and Where She Went are some of my favorite books, So I was pretty elated when I got the chance to meet her.

However, this meet and greet was a little different then any other one I have been to. When I walked in and sat down.. a projector ready for a slide show greeted me.


Gayle started by welcoming us, and saying how excited she was since she grew up in Burbank. Then she took out her very well loved copy of Just One Day and began by explaining the concept of the book and the story behind the 1st photo in the slideshow. What was cool about the slideshow was that every slide tied into a section in her book and essentially she read several pages from her book at various parts. So, I got a VERY good understand of the book, but also got to find out the personal parts of them for her.









After, that she took some questions and surprisingly... I asked a MAJORITY of the questions! I normally like to sit and listen and laugh and observe. I will admit I got most of my questions from the day before at the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. After that it was time to get in line and  get my books signed! 



The Women In Green Is Author Robin Benway!



As Usual I was pretty nervous, but I told her about how much I loved her books (DUH) and that Adam Wilde has been my favorite bookish boyfriend for the LONGEST Time, but that I was starting to like Willem form the excerpts. She had also said that there is a new male character in a book she is working on that is WAY hot in a bad boy kind of way.. I believe she called him Ben and I look forward to that! She thanked me for asking a lot of questions and I think that was about it!






 Needless, to say I had a GREAT time and I would DEFINITELY go to a book signing of hers again.