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Friday, November 25, 2011

Through Her Eyes

Through Her EyesThrough Her Eyes by Jennifer Archer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars







Through Her Eyes is one those books that I thought I’m not going to like but ended up liking it anyway. It is surprisingly good although the story is very simple.


It is not as creepy as I thought it would be but the eerie feel in the story cannot be denied. The vivid description of the house is marvelous that I can picture it out clearly. And I can’t deny the fact that the house is indeed spooky.


The characters are fine; I really like the idea that Tansy and Henry are somehow connected in the mystery surrounding the house but in a different way. The flashback is the best part of the book; I simply adore the fact that everything makes sense in the end.


Though it maybe not one of the best book that I’ve read, Through Her Eyes is truly an enjoyable read.










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Eve

Eve (The Eve Trilogy, #1)Eve by Anna Carey

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


rating: 2.5 stars

Eve is one of the 2011 book released that I am so excited to read. One of the most talked about books for this year so when it was available I immediately grabbed a copy. So definitely I am expecting a lot from this one, but after reading it I was utterly disappointed. What a letdown!


As a dystopian story, its story is very interesting. I love the idea of it, a plague taking down the life of the people resulting to a mass panic; I think that is very realistic. But there is still some missing information that I need an answer. Why there is a plague? Why some are affected and some are not? I think that is one of the critical points in every dystopian story. And why the King is so obsessed with Eve, I know the answer was already told in the book but for me it is not convincing enough.


Eve is a very weak character; I do understand her naïve attitude towards some things because she was informed falsely. But being callow in everything is just too much. She is too immature and sometimes a stuck-up bitch. I sometimes wanted to shake her real hard. I really like Arden ; she has this fierceness in a character that I am looking for. It is understandable because she needs to survive. If only Eve has a little of Arden’s ferocity, I will like her a little more. Caleb is not very impressive; to be honest I am not even looking forward in reading him.


Eve is not a bad book, it is just the way it was executed is not exactly I am looking for. I got bored, simply there is nothing going on in the story. It is just plainly dull, but the story has a potential to be good if only the author will enhance her character and the story plot more. And the ending, I’d rather not talk about it because it will just ruin my day. I totally don’t hate this book, but reading the second book will need a lot to convince me. Or maybe I will still get a copy of it mainly because of the book cover.








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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Iron King

The Iron King (Iron Fey, #1)The Iron King by Julie Kagawa


My rating: 4 of 5 stars




Ratings: 4.5 stars


I have high expectations on the Iron Fey series, heard it is amazing, fantastic, great! Well, after reading “The Iron King” my expectations were met but am I in love with it? Not yet but getting there.


Why???


Maybe because I wasn't fascinated with Meghan Chase that much. Most part of the book I am so annoyed with her. Her impulsiveness, mostly in her decisions, is just irritating. But she is ok, I really don’t hate her but I’m not drawn to her yet.


Maybe because saving someone dear to the protagonist who is taken captive by the faery/fey is very much the same story that I’ve read before. Which in this case, Meghan’s little brother was taken and she needs to save him. And there she discovers that she is not what she thinks she is. Pretty familiar? Yeah, I but I love that kind of story so no worries, but it kind of bothered me a little bit though.


But I am going to admit that the world building in this story is brilliant! Nevernever is breathtaking, I am in awe, and the description is just stunning! It makes me want to jump in there and be part of it. I love how different yet familiar her faeries is.


Ash and Puck, these two lovely guys just totally made my day! Well, as of this moment I am still undecided who I love the most, but both of them is just amazing I just can’t select right now. I love Ash mysteriousness and his bewitching charms, and do I need to say being a devastatingly handsome one doesn't hurt his caliber. But I love Puck’s easy going attitude, his playfulness and him being so sweet to Meghan. I know that Meghan chose Ash over Puck, and I am too I think, but I can’t help but feel sorry for Puck. Feel sorry for the “best friends” who have done everything but got nothing in return. Well I can’t really blame Meghan because Ash is just so enchanting and irresistible. I think he just needs to convince me more.










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Sunday, November 20, 2011

In My Mailbox (20)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ www.thestorysiren.com





Purchased: 

  • Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (Look and sounds fantastic. I can't wait to read it)
  • Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (heard mixed reviews about this one, some says it is too similar to Twilight. Well, I would like to find out if I am going to like it or not)
  • Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (another 2011 debut that I've been anticipating for so long)

What did you get in your mailboxes this week? leave a link in the comments section for your IMM post and I'll be happy to check it out! Enjoy reading!

A Clash of Kings

A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, #2)Title: A Clash of Kings 
Author: George R.R. Martin
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire # 2
Published: republished 2011 by Bantam (1st published 01/01/1996)
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 1009
Genre: Adult High Fantasy


My rating: 
★ ★ ★ ★ ★



Summary:  A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Hunger Games Official Trailer 2012 HD




wow! I am so impressed with the movie trailer. It is so amazing! I'll just hope that the movie will be as good as well. I am so excited to watch it. 

The Mockingbirds

The Mockingbirds (The Mockingbirds, #1)The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney


My rating: 2 of 5 stars




ratings: 2.5 stars


The Mockingbirds is a story about Alex who is date-raped by Carter and how she struggled to be free from that burden. It is a good story but the way it was told was not. I feel so bad giving it a low rating but I can’t deny it, I am not impressed with this book.


Alex is not a convincing character; I don’t feel any compassion towards her. Alex emotions lacks of power or intensity. Yes she is afraid, mad, confused, and angry but did I feel it? No I definitely did not. Her reaction as a rape victim is unbelievable. She is too calm and composed, for me a little distress in her life would be good in her character.


I also found the story too predictable. I already know what will happen at the end after “the mockingbirds” came to the story. And also the way the story was told were completely lame. It doesn’t need to play with our emotions but it needs more to evoke something, to at least have sympathy towards Alex.


Though I clearly didn’t like this book that much, I really love the main point of the story, the power of speaking up for your rights and for yourself. And also I found the “mockingbirds society” pretty cool. But aside from that I don’t have any more positive thing to say about this book so I’ll just stop now.








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Monday, November 14, 2011

Unearthly

Unearthly (Unearthly, #1)Title: Unearthly 
Author: Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly # 1
Published: January 04, 2011 by HarperTeen
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 435
Genre: YA Paranormal/Fantasy, Angels


My rating: 
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Summary:
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?


My Thoughts:
Unearthly is definitely one of my favorite angel books. It is really refreshing that the main character, Clara , knows she is part angel. At least it is a little bit different from what I’m used to reading.


The characters are really good. I love Clara’s relationship with her mom and brother and how open they are to their nature. However there is still some mysteriousness left in Clara’s life that needs to be discovered. I really like Christian but unfortunately his character was not explored really well. His façade is well to perfect. But Tucker, oh boy, he is amazing! I love everything about him, his sarcasm and wits. He is annoying but sweet at the same time. I love Tucker and Clara’s chemistry together.


Plot is really fantastic too. Clara has a mission to save someone else’s life that‘s why they move. And then there she discovered a lot about herself and the boy she needs to save, which is Christian of course. The twist and turn of the story is superb. I was surprised of the revelations at the end. I found myself craving for more. And yeah, I am team Tucker for now but we will see if Christian can change my mind. I’m expecting that there will be more about him on the next book so there is a possibility that I will like Christian too.










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Sunday, November 13, 2011

In My Mailbox (19)


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ www.thestorysiren.com


Catching-Up Edition



Purchased:

  • The Iron King and The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (I've been wanting to read this for quite sometime. And now the 4th and final book is already out, I finally decided to buy the first 2 books in the series. And in case I will like it, I can easily purchased the remaining 2)
  • Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs (this is one of the series that I need to catch up on. And heard good things about this one so I will give it a shot)


Friday, November 11, 2011

Book Reviews

~~~


13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson


~A~

A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin
Across the Universe by Beth Revis
Afterlife by Claudia Gray
Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
Angel [Angel Burn] by L.A. Weatherly
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Ash by Malinda Lo

~B~

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

~C~

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare
Clarity by Kim Harrington


~D~

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
Darker Still by Leanna Renee Heiber
Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Dark Mirror by M.J. Putney
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Die For Me by Amy Plum
Divergent by Veronica Roth
Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes


~E~

Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
Entangled by Cat Clarke
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
Entwined by Heather Dixon
Eve by Anna Carey


~F~

Faerie Path 4: The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones
Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell
Falling Under by Gwen Hayes
Fateful by Claudia Gray 
Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Forsaken [The Demon Trappers Daughter] by Jana Oliver


~G~

The Ghost and The Goth by Stacey Kade
Gone (Wake 3) by Lisa McMann
Guardian of the Gate by Michelle Zink


~H~

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto 
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
The Hollow by Jessica Verday
Hourglass by Myra McEntire


~I~

If I Stay by Gayle Forman
Illuminated by Erica Orloff
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge


~J~


Jealousy by Lili St. Crow
Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey


~K~


~L~


Legend by Marie Lu
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
The Locket by Stacey Jay
The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan


~M~


Matched by Ally Condie
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney


~N~


Need by Carrie Jones
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer


~O~

~P~


Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White


~Q~

~R~


The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles


~S~


The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard
Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi
The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
Soul Thief by Jana Oliver
The Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement-Moore
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Supernaturally by Kiersten White
Sweep (Volume 1) by Cate Tiernan
Switched by Amanda Hocking


~T~


~U~


The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand


~V~

~W~


Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen
Where She Went by Gayle Forman
White Cat by Holly Black
Wither by Lauren DeStefano
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer


~X~

~Y~

~Z~

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Shade

ShadeShade by Jeri Smith-Ready


My rating: 3 of 5 stars




ratings: 3.5 stars


I have mixed feelings about this book “Shade” . I didn’t like it at first but the plot is pretty interesting so I gave it a chance. I really had a hard time getting into the story; I think if not for the ending I wouldn’t like it at all.


I’m not really impressed with the characters particularly Aura. Aura is so childish and immature most of the time. I can’t find any special thing about her. Logan came off as an arrogant one. I just can’t get into his character. While Zachary , who supposed to be this mysterious and amazing guy, but I still think that something is missing. I just can’t pinpoint what but his character is still somehow weak.


Like I said before, the plot is interesting. It is a haunting tale that is different from what I’ve read before. I love the mystery between the Shades, the ghost, and the story between the pre-shift and the post-shift. I am so curious of what is the connection between Aura and Zachary. However it was not explained further, maybe because it was just the first book in the series. I’m not really impressed with this story, I found it not compelling enough. But I think the ending save it for me. I was amazed and so curious now that it made me want to read the next book, Shift . Plus, I read the sneak peek of Shift so I am interested now in continuing with the series.










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Monday, November 7, 2011

Fateful

FatefulFateful by Claudia Gray


My rating: 3 of 5 stars




Fateful is a simple story yet with an intriguing plot and setting, Titanic and werewolf, how cool is that! It is an easy read, I honestly love Claudia Gray’s writing style but this time she offered us a very foreseeable story. Everything is predictable from beginning to the end. There are no big surprises in the plot maybe because of the limitations in the story settings. Also there is simply no chance for character and plot development. Everything was crammed in just a few days, and that makes the story a little bit lame. The romance is just one of those instant loves that is popular nowadays but sadly it was not delivered very well. I really can’t feel any connection between Tess and Alec and that makes me really sad.


One thing that I like about the book is that Mikhail, the villain, is really creepy. His character is so cruel and horrific that every time he is on the scene the hair on my neck is rising. I just hope that the histories of the Brotherhood were explored very well.


Though I found so many things that I didn’t like about the book, amazingly I still had fun reading it. There is magic in this book that kept me on reading. It may not be a fascinating read as I’m hoping it would be it really didn’t disappoint me that much. So all in all Fateful is an ok read.








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Sunday, November 6, 2011

In My Mailbox (18)

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi @ www.thestorysiren.com





Box Set of A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin

  • A Game of Thrones (glad to have an extra copy)
  • A Clash of Kings
  • A Storm of Swords
  • A Feast for Crows
A wonderful and unexpected surprised from my husband. Due to my self-imposed Book buying ban to save money for the coming holiday, I haven’t bought any books for the past few weeks. But because my husband knew how much I love the first book in the series (A Game of Thrones) he decided to buy the box set instead and give me this as a gift. So happy!

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

Amy and Roger's Epic DetourTitle: Amy & Roger's Epic Detour 
Author: Morgan Matson
Published: 1st published on 05/04/10 by Simon & Schuster
Format: Paperback
Pages: 352
Genre: YA Contemporary


My rating: 
★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

The Dead-Tossed Waves

The Dead-Tossed Waves (The Forest of Hands and Teeth, #2)The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan


My rating: 2 of 5 stars




I am so hugely disappointed with this book. I got so bored with it that I skipped so many pages. I can’t find any reasons to like this book mainly because I was so annoyed by Gabry. Her attitude is just too much; I hate her point of view. The plot is not as intense as I would like it to be. I think this book will be better if it was told in Elias’ perspective. Oh well, now I can say I am definitely done with this series.






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