Saturday, April 30, 2011

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Publisher: New American Library
Age Group: YA
Rating: 4/5
Source: Publisher

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.



When I was on GoodReads looking at new and upcoming books, Falling Under by Gwen Hayes popped out. Everything book around it seemed to have vanished and all I was looking at was Falling Under ... and its exquisite cover. I could not take my eyes off of it. Now I know it's never good to judge a book on its cover, but this one was a must have for me. I kept on thinking to myself how amazing it would look when I would actually hold the book in my hand.

When the book did arrive to my doorstep, I was thrilled! During the beginning of the book, it was a bit slow, but that was only for a couple of pages and then the book takes off when Haden arrives. This book is filled with mystery, forbidden love (which I love!) and something called the Under in the book which I thought was a totally unique idea Gewn Hayes put in her book.

Falling Under is not like most paranormal books. It stands out on its own and that's what I loved about it even more. Hayes has put in a new concept in the YA genre that doesn't involve the usual vampires and werewolves.

Overall, if you're looking for a book that's new in paranormal and one that has an amazing cover that doesn't disappoint inside and out, Falling Under is for you!

Friday, April 29, 2011

The Entreprenuer Equation by Carol Roth

Publisher: BenBella Books
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 5/5
Source: Publisher

There's never been a better time to start a business—or so the conventional wisdom would have you believe. But with up to 90 percent of businesses failing within the first five years, it's time to take off the rose-colored glasses and think twice before you invest your precious time, money and energy.

The Entrepreneur Equation helps you do the math before you set down the entrepreneurial path so that you can answer more than just "Could I be an entrepreneur?" but rather "Should I be an entrepreneur?" By understanding
what it takes to build a valuable business as well as how to assess the risks and rewards of business ownership based on your personal circumstances, you can learn how to stack the odds of success in your favor and ultimately decide if business ownership is the best possible path for you, now or ever.



Who has ever dreamed of starting a buisness. I know I have. Even though what I want to major in college is something totally different than what I want my buisness to be, I still think it's cool just knowing you have something that others will be buying from, that is yours. Well, this book brings down the realities of having a buisness. I was shocked to find out that out of all the buisnesses that will start, 90% will fail. That's a really big number and I was really suprised.

Carol Roth has written an amazing book for anyone who wants to begin a buisness. She takes you step by step in showing the realities. That's what I loved about this book. It wasn't saying all the good things that will come out from having a buisness or telling the reader that they will become multi - billionaires the moment their buisness takes off. She shows you what really happens and what will happen. But Roth also takes it a step further in helping you realize your dream.

There are many books on buisness out in the market today, but I believe this is one of the best ones. Carol Roth tells you everything straight forward. Nothing is hidden from the reader. If you're thinking about starting your own buisness and are lost on which book to buy at the bookstore, this one's for you!

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Alyson Noel Interview

1. Your novels really deal with teenage pain and they seem so real, what's your secret?
The teenage years make for such a defining time in our lives, which is one of the reasons I love writing about them. It’s a time filled with so many great moments, painful moments, first-time moments, and attempts to define ourselves and our place in the world—it’s just ripe for storytelling! I often steal from my own life to create my characters and their stories, and having had a pretty tough adolescence I draw a lot on those memories and how it felt to experience the things that I did, then I try to parlay those feeling into my books.

2. How did the IMMORTALS Series come about?
THE IMMORTALS was also born from a painful experience, namely grief. Five years ago I lost three people I loved in five months and shortly after that I nearly lost my husband to leukemia (he’s in full remission now). Going through that time of intense grief and fear got me thinking a lot about life and death, mortality and immortality, and the ties that bind us to our loved ones long after they’re gone, and Ever and Damen’s story was born from there.
At the time, I was under contract to write SAVING ZOË and CRUEL SUMMER (both books that explore grief and change in their own way), but I was so driven to write Ever and Damen’s story that I worked on it as a side project whenever I could carve out a little time for it, and eventually sold it to my publisher as well. The funny thing is, it wasn’t until I reached the end of EVERMORE that I realized it needed to be a series, and it was somewhere in the middle of writing BLUE MOON that I knew exactly how the series would end—now it’s just a matter of getting there!

3. For me, getting accepted by a publisher means a lot. How was your publishing experience? Hard or easy? Has it become easier with publishing the IMMORTALS?
Looking back and listening to other’s stories—I think my publishing experience was both hard and easy!
Hard because I had no idea what I was doing, I didn’t know any other writers, and back in late 2001 when I first started to get serious about my writing, there wasn’t near as much info on the Internet as there is now. So, basically, I made every single newbie mistake you can think of (and more!), though I did take a lot of online writing classes, read a lot of writing books, and slowly started to figure it out.
Easy because I was led to my first agent via a fellow writer (the talented Susanne Dunlap) from one of those writing classes, and when he told me to read STORY by Robert McKee to get a handle on my structure and plot problems, it all clicked into place, and some months after, we sold my debut novel, FAKING 19, to St. Martin’s Press and I’ve been writing for them ever since.
I’m under contract with St. Martin’s now for a total of 21 books (including my new, just announced, upcoming YA series, THE SOUL SEEKERS)—11 of those are published, 3 are in production, 1 I’m writing now, and the rest are still to be written. I feel really lucky to work with such a great editor and to have such a great publishing team behind me—it really feels like home to me!

4. What is the one place you wish you could go to?
Oh, I love to travel, and while I’ve traveled a lot (I was a flight attendant before I became a writer) there are so many places left to explore—though I would really like to visit Summerland—without having to die to get there of course!

5.What are your hobbies?
I don’t really have any hobbies per se, but when I’m not writing I enjoy reading, traveling, going to movies, the beach, visiting with friends, art museums, fancy dinners with my husband . . . the usual things!

6. What are some things people don't really know about you?

Hmmm, let’s see . . . That I have a thing for shoes, yet pretty much live in my slippers—that I love to sing along to my favorite classic rock songs while I’m driving my car—and that I really do prefer frozen yogurt to ice-cream!


Thanks so much for the interview, Ana!!


You're so welcome Alyson!

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Publisher: Dutton
Age Group: YA
Rating: 5/5
Source: Publisher


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 Étienne 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?

What an amazing and funny book! Not too long ago, I was only into paranormal books, but I began reading chick - lit and I began loving it as well and I'm happy I opened up my interests. Anna and the French Kiss is the book I have been looking for in a long time. Everything about the book was perfect. I synopsis immediatly grabbed my attention and I couldn't wait to get my hands on it.

One of my favorite places in the world is Paris (I still have to visit it though haha). Anna moves to a boarding school is Paris and everything afterwards takes off. Every element a good chick - lit book should have, this book had it. It was a true love story and I couldn't tear myself away from reading it. The love between Etienne and Anna was so cute and I could just imagine Entienne's french accent and how adorable it would have been.

The cover was one of my favorite parts of this book. Nothing beats that cover, I mean look at it. The Eifel Tower in the background and Anna and Etienne sitting on a bench in front of it. That to me screams out "AMAZING BOOK WAITING TO BE READ!!"

Overall, if you love chick - lit and Paris, this book is for you!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Future Reads

Brother/Sister by Sean Olin
(Razorbill  6/9/11)










Torn by Erica O'Rourke
(Kensington  6/28/11)










Velvet by Mary Hooper
(Bloomsbury  9/5/11)








David by Mary Hoffman
(Bloomsbury  10/11/11)










Unleashed by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers 12/13/11)

Friday, April 22, 2011

Summer of Fear by Lois Duncan

Publisher: Little, Brown, Co.
Age Group: YA
Rating: 5/5
Source: Publisher

Why is Rachel the only one to sense the evil that surrounds Julia?



From the moment Rachel's cousin Julia arrives that summer, she seems to seep into Rachel's life like a poison. Everyone else is enchanted by her--including Rachel's boyfriend. But what does Julia really want?



I remember reading Lois Duncan books when I was little and I would always get terrified. I first read I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER and then watched the movie and remember being scared, but also wondering what would happen next. Duncan was my first introduction to teen horror books. Summer of Fear just continued that thrill.

Rachel's cousin Julia arrives and everyone immediatly loves her. Rachel feels as though Julia has taken over everyone in her life and Julia is the best person for them in the world and even though no one believes Rachel that there is something up with Julia, she deceides to go and find out herself. She does research on Julia and towards the end of the book, we find out what Julia really is and what her plan is.

Summer of Fear was a fun paced read that I enjoyed so much. Little, Brown and Co. did a reprint of the books with new covers and I think they are just amazing. Lois Duncan is great in writing teen horror novels and I never have become tired of her.

If you're a Lois Duncan fan and haven't read this one yet, I recommend that you do!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

The Hourglass Door Series Trailer

Hey everyone! Check out the trailer of The Hourglass Door Series by Lisa Mangum. This is one of my favorite series of all time! Below is the trailer.





Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Walker Books
Age Group: YA
Rating: 4/5
Source: Publisher

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family. Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy. Lucy is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black — in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

After reading almost every young adult vampire book out in the market, I found out about the Drake Chronicles. I began reading the first book and was immediatly hypnotized by the story. The story is about Solange, a vampire to be since she will turn into a vampire on her sixteenth birthday. Also, the queen of Vampires hates and is after Solange because she think that Solange is after her and the crown.

The beginning few chapters are a lot since all the information about vampires is given to you and at times I felt as though I had to memorize everything or else I wouldn't know what was going on, but I was wrong. Harvey does a good job not only keeping the reader interested in the story, but also knowing what is going on. I loved the twists in the end of the book and it did leave room for a sequal which I am dying to read!

I liked the cover since it did look like a vampire princess and after reading Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, I absolutly adore books with vampire princesses. This book also was published in England and you can eve check out that cover which I love as well.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and it just shows, but obsession with vampires still hasn't gone away. If you love vampire books or are just looking for another great read, I recommend Hearts at Stake!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Fit Soul Fit Body by Brant Secunda and Mark Allen

Publisher: Benbella Books
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4/5
Source: Publisher

From setting appropriate goals for each type of fitness to learning how to feed both body and soul, this ground-breaking guide goes beyond the typical health mantras—eat right, exercise regularly, reduce stress—and explores the emotional and physical obstacles to corporeal and spiritual fitness. Based on the immensely successful training of a six-time Ironman triathlete by a renowned Huichol Indian healer, this handbook seeks to remedy the conspicuous absence of spirituality in typical Western exercise regimens by explaining how to incorporate the divine into everyday exercises and why the two issues are inexorably linked. After years of respective training, both parties realized that the art of prayer and its signature mindfulness could increase not only one’s physical abilities but also the mind, and that fitness wasn’t just a matter of good cardiovascular health and strong muscles. Whether training for intense competition or just reaching fitness goals, this indispensable resource discusses how to exceed mental limitations and become successful in any physical, emotional, or spiritual journey.


This book was amazing. It's really a helpful guide for anyone in getting over stress and taking a stand and doing something. The way Brant and Mark wrote this book was a very easy read and while reading it, I found myself taking out sticky notes and sticking them on the pages so I could remember some of their advice.

Don't shy away from this book because it's a self help book. It's good for anyone. Being a high school student about to go to college, is very stressful and so many things are happening right now and this book helped me realize how to take things slowly and take the stress away from very small things.

It also has a meal guide. There are times when I'm in a big rush and I don't eat breakfast, but in this book there is a sample breakfast, lunch and diner menu for a one week which can help you get on track. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot and would reccomend this book to anyone because it truly is a great book.

Future Reads

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz
(Harlequin  6/21/11)

All You Desre (The Eternal Ones #2) by Kirsten Miller
(Razorbill  8/9/11)







Lie by Caroline Bock
(St. Martin's Griffin  8/30/11)









Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
(St. Martin's Griffin  9/27/11)










Legacy by Molly Cochran
(Simon and Schuster  12/20/11)










Vampire Academy: The Ultimate Guide by Michelle Rowen and Richelle Mead
(Razorbill 11/15/11)

Sunday, April 10, 2011

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Publisher: Harcourt
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: 5/5
Source: Bought

 
The undead can really screw up your senior year . . .
Marrying a vampire definitely doesn t fit into Jessica Packwood s senior year get-a-life plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth and he s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war and save Lucius s soul from eternal destruction.

There are no words able to explain the love I have for this book. I bought this book to satisfy my love for vampires and after reading Twilight three years agao, I thought there was nothing like it out there. But I was wrong. Jessica's Guide was amazing! The story starts off with Jessica and she sees Lucius for the first time near a tree staring at her, than at school. Every girl immediatly falls in love with him, but his love is for Jessica but Jessica hates him and always wonders why he loes her and not some hot cheerleader.

But as time goes by, Lucius and Jessica's parents become very close and Jessica finds out that Lucius is a vampire prince and Jessica is a vampire princess. She also finds out her real name which Lucius loves to call her by. But the story is so much more than something cute. The emotional trail this book is filled made me want to cry. So much happened and there was no way I could put this book down. I never wanted to put it down.

I loved the ending so much, I really wanted a sequal. There is a short sequal on Beth Fantaskey's web site, but I also found out there will be an actualy sequal coming out soon!! How cool is that!!! I'm super excited for it since when a book makes me feel so many emotions so fast and I'm thinking about it after many days, it's one of my favorites of all time.

If you love a good book, this one's for you. But also look at how amazing that cover looks. I wish we could have seen the guy's face and I love the fangs hanging out from his smile.

Future Reads

The Nine Lives of Chloe King by Liz Branswell
(Simon Pulse 6/7/11)










Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
(Kensington 7/26/11)










The Predicteds by Christine Seifert
(Sourcebooks Fire 9/1/11)










13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
(Scholastic Press 9/1/11)










Wintertown by Stephen Emond
(Little, Brown Books for Young Readers 12/5/11)










Illuminated by Erica Orloff
(Speak 12/8/11)

The Probabaility of Miracles by Wendy Wunder
(Razorbill 12/8/11)

Monday, April 4, 2011

Save As Draft by Cavanaugh Lee

Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Age Group: Adult
Rating: 4/5
Source:Publisher


SAVE AS DRAFT @Readers A love triangle evolving over e-mails, texts, and Facebook messages that makes you wonder if the things we leave unsaid—or rather unsent—could change the story of our lives.
6:59 PM Feb. 14th via twitterfeed
Sent: Monday, February 14, 2011
From: Izabell
To: Reader
Subject: Save as Draft
Are we Facebook friends yet? I’m the wactress (waitress/actress) turned lawyer who lives her life online. (Don’t we all these days?)
Anyway, I’ve got this problem. . . . There’s this guy. His name’s Peter. He’s my best friend and co-worker, and we just started dating, which is potentially a huge mistake. But, that’s not all. There’s this other guy, Marty. I met him on eHarm, and he ran with the bulls in Spain. I can’t get him off my mind. What a mess. I’d love your advice if you can take a second out of your crazy, high-tech life. Shoot me an e-mail. Or text me. Or BB messenger me.
And friend me if you haven’t already! You can find me on Facebook under Save as Draft.
Izabell


I know in this blog I usually read and review YA novels, but SAVE AS DRAFT caught my attention and I immediatly had to read this one. What I first loved about SAVE AS DRAFT was the beautiful cover it has! I mean look at that cover. It looks like a Mac laptop and the famous eaten Apple logo is in the shape of heart because this book is about a young woman who is rying to find love on the interent.

The premise of the novel did remind me of the author's life because if you read what Lee says, she's an attorney and at night she's on internet dating sights. The entire book is in forms of texts and emails. There are not many types of books with emails only, and the few I have read, I have loved them. This book was so cute and I loved the love story that followed Izabell and Peter along. I never knew what actually happened on dating sites such as eHarmony, but I now know.

I enjoyed Lee's writing style in this book and would love to see more books in the same format from her.

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Future Reads



Misfit by Jon Skovron
(Amulet Books 8/1/11)













You Have Seven Messages by Stewart Lewis
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers 9/13/11)











Circle 9 by Anne Heltzel
(Candelwick 9/13/11)












All the Earth Thrown to the Sky by Joe R. Lansdale
(Delacorte Books for Young Readers 9/13/11)












As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott
(Dutton Juvenile 9/15/11)












The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
(Razorbill 11/15/11)












Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh
(Antheneum 1/24/12)

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Deadly Little Lies by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Publisher: Disney/Hyperion
Age Group: YA

Rating: 4/5
Source:Bought
Last fall, sixteen-year-old Camelia fell for Ben, the mysterious new boy at school who turned out to have a very mysterious gift--pyschometry, the ability to sense the future through touch.  But just as Camelia and Ben's romance began to heat up, he abruptly left town. Brokenhearted, Camelia has spent the last few months studying everything she can about psychometry, and experiencing her own strange brushes with premonition. Camelia wonders if Ben's abilities have somehow rubbed off on her. Can the power of psychometry be transferred? 

Even once Ben returns to school, Camelia can't get close enough to share her secret with him. Despite the romantic tension between them, Ben remains aloof, avoiding contact. Then when an unexpected kiss leads to a frightening argument, Camelia makes the painful decision to let Ben go and move on.  Adam, the hot new guy at work, seems good for her in ways Ben wasn't.  Adam is easygoing, and seems to really care about her.
But when Camelia and Adam start dating, a surprising love triangle results. A chilling sequence of events upturns secrets from Ben's past--and Adam's. Someone is lying, and it’s up to Camelia to figure out who—before it’s too late.

Deadly Little Lies is the sequal to the fast paced Deadly Little Secret. It continues right where book 1 left off and a new character is introduced - Adam. Adam felt very mysterious at the beginning and when Camelia begins wondering what is up with Adam's past, Stolarz brings you back to the moment that you can't trust anyone. I'm not going to say much about this book because I don't want to give away any spoilers away, but it's nothing like the first book and I happened to like this book better because there was so much more to the story and a lot more mystery.

This cover is my favorite cover so far. The night sky in the background is so mysterious that once I saw this book was out, I immediatly grabbed it and devoured it in only 4 hours (it would have been 2 or less, but I had homework.)

Overall, if you loved the first book, this one is so much better!