Review: The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

The Mockingbirds
(The Mockingbirds #1)

Author: Daisy Whitney

Publication Date: November 2nd 2010

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Genre: Contemporary / Realistic Fiction

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Synopsis:

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.

My Thoughts: So I had heard a lot of good things about this book. But I forgot about it for the longest time. Then one day, I saw it on the bargain shelf at Chapters and remembered it was supposed to be good, so I picked it up. It's a relatively short read, just over 300 pages. Surprisingly, I actually read it shortly after buying it, much to the disappointment of all the books that have been sitting on my shelf for over a year, just waiting to be read.

Basically, the book is about a girl who is date raped. She doesn't really remember much but starts to have flash backs and realizes that she did not in fact give permission to have sex. It was her first time and she doesn't remember it, worse, it apparently happened twice. As the story goes on, she begins to remember more and more, getting madder and madder at what's happened to her. She enlists the help of the student led and operated court, which is the Mockingbirds. They are there for the students because the teachers live in a dream world where nothing wrong ever happens at their school, the students are perfect and even if someone comes to them about an issue, they ignore it or that person is kicked out for some reason or other. So the students are there for justice.

It's a pretty interesting read and I thought it did a great job of showing how someone reacts to being date raped. A lot of rape victims are afraid to report it because of what it is, and you learn as you go on that this has actually happened before, but that person was too afraid to push forward. A lot of people are ashamed and feel like they asked for it. Which isn't true. Unfortunately there isn't much justice in the world when it comes to rape but I thought the way it was handled in this story was good. I really liked the writing style and was pretty much able to sit down and read this book in one sitting. It kept my attention and kept me reading. I will definitely be looking to continue on with the series and will be watching out for more by Daisy Whitney.

Review: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

Warm Bodies

Author: Isaac Marion

Publication Date: January 1st 2010

Publisher: Vintage

Genre: Zombies/Post Apocalyptic/Romance

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Synopsis:

A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel.

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead

My Thoughts: I will admit, and I'm sure you know, that my whole reason fro reading this was because I was planning on seeing the movie in theaters (and I did!) and I really don't like to watch a movie when I know it's based off of a book if I haven't already read the book. Well, I have to say I'm so glad that they made this into a movie, I might have missed it otherwise! It's too funny! I never thought I would say that about a zombie book before!

So why is this funny? Well because it's from a zombie's point of view! R in fact. All he can remember is that he thinks his name started with an R, so that's what he goes by. Not that he has many people to talk to, not really. Zombies don't really talk, they most grunt at each other and a few can get some words out, like R and M, his best friend. Since we're in R's head, we do actually get plenty of coherrant thought's from him, it seems to just be speaking that he has the most difficulty with. R doesn't like being a zombie, not really and he really doesn't like that he has to kill to survive. Because he doesn't just want to die, which can happen, so instead he is forced to kill and eat humans. Brains seem to be like a drug to zombies, it gives them the memories of their victims temporarily when they eat them and since they can't dream and have no memories of their own, it's something they enjoy.

So when R and some other zombies go on a hunt and find some humans, something weird happens and he brings home Julia, disguised as a new zombie. For some reason he couldn't kill her and didn't want anyone else to either. Can zombies really love? Something strange begins to happen to him and he can't figure it out.

Warm Bodies is very enjoyable. There were so many parts that had me laughing at R's antics. There is a bit of "zombie sex" in it, so not really good for younger teens. Although the image that was put in my head had me laughing hysterically (I have a bad sense of humour, but apparently Isaac Marion shares that with me). I enjoyed the writing style and the story is relatively short and quick to read. I read it in less than a day. I will say that the ending in the books is different from the movie in some ways, if you have seen it. Also, the boney's aren't as scary in the book as the movie. I've also just discovered that there is going to be a sequel, so I'll be looking out for that. Isaac Marion has a great writing style which I really enjoyed, so I have to check out more by him. I definitely recommend this one!

Review: The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Eternal Ones
The Eternal Ones #1

Author: Kirsten Miller

Publication Date: August 10, 2010

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then, an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is and who she was. In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

My Thoughts: All I can say is that as soon as I put this book down I was looking for a sequel and hoping that there was one.  It could have stopped at this book but I just didn't want it to end!  I didn't put this book down from the moment I picked it up.

Haven passes out and says weird things.  It has been happening since she could remember and she had managed to stop them, until now.  After seeing a famous womanizer (Iain Morrow) on tv one day it happens in front of her grandmother, after she called him Ethan - the imaginary boy she has believed she is in love with since childhood.  After that, things get weird(er) and Haven ends up on a whirlwind adventure in New York City to find out who she really is.

I would just like to point out here that I feel really bad for the childhood Haven had.  Her beloved father died in a car crash when she was young, her mother broke down and was sent away for awhile and her crazily religious grandmother took her in.  Her grandmother then deduced that all of her fainting and talking of other lives were brought on by a demon and told the whole town to pray for her - which, in turn, caused her to be completely ostracized.

I love the idea of reincarnation and books that play on that idea.  The magnetic draw to people from their past lives in this series really makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside.  Just thinking about it gives me the tinglies.  I also loved the moment when, by fate, Iain and Haven meet for the first time (in this life).  She gets dragged along at his pace and it seems all too soon - but at the same time it doesn't.  Not with memories of Ethan and Constance inter-crossing.

Haven, I should say, acts like detective as she tries to solve the mystery behind the deaths of Constance and Ethan.  She is unknowingly reckless with it and it causes a lot of mistrust between her and Iain.  Iain is mysterious in and of himself.  He tells Haven lies about where he is going and what he is doing - but insists that it is for her protection.  Throughout the novel I was back and forth just like Haven.  Not quite believing all the information she turned up with but at the same time not knowing what to do with it or who to trust.

The ending of this book really got me and I am excited to read the next one.  The world that Miller created drew me into it and made me sad when I had to put it down.  I loved it!

T,G,I.F. (20)

Thank Great Illustrators Fridays is a book meme created and hosted by Owl Read It.

They say don't judge a book by it's cover, but a lot of the time the cover is what draws you to the book in the first place. This meme is to show appreciation to the artists who put their time and effort into creating the great book covers of our beloved series.

To Participate:

• Pick a book cover you love (any book will do - released or not)
• Post the picture of the book along with the author & publisher 
• Post a brief summary of why you like the cover. 
• Take the pic above and link back to us :)

This week's TGIF cover:

Glimmerglass

Author: Jenna Black

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffn

Genre: Fantasy/Faeries

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Synopsis:

It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...

Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she's had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl, she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.

I am not sure why I love this cover, I just think it is beautiful. I really want to read this one too, since it seems to be something a little bit different. What do you guys think of it?

Review: Insatiable by Meg Cabot

Insatiable

(Insatiable #1)

Author: Meg Cabot

Publication Date: June 8, 2010

Publisher: William Morrow

Genre: Fantasy/Romance

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Synopsis:

Sick of vampires? So is Meena Harper.
But her boss is making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn’t believe in them.

Not that Meena isn’t familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you’re going to die (not that you’re going to believe her; no one ever does).

But not even Meena’s precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side . . . a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire-hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, he already is dead. Maybe that’s why he’s the first guy Meena’s ever met that she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena’s always been able to see everyone else’s future, she’s never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future . . .
If she even has one.

My Thoughts: Meena Harper was just a regular dialogue writer on a soap opera - except for the small fact that she could see how everyone around her would die. Although, no one usually believes her. Then, she meets the handsome prince Lucien Antonescu and her life changes forever.

I love Meena (short for Wilhelmeena) Harper. Yeah, sure, she writes and loves soap operas and eventually fell in love overnight - but hey, gotta believe in love at first sight once in a while. This girl is definitely not a push-over though. She takes everything with a grain of salt and stands up for her beliefs, even when other people are telling her otherwise. She also has an iron-clad conscious that forces her to help everyone and anyone she believes she can.

There is a small love-triangle between Meena, Lucien (her vampire boyfriend) and Alaric Wulf (vampire-hunter). I hope that in the next book in this series that it will be explored more fully and certainly could be an interesting and even more complicated set of relationships.

Oh, and Meena’s unemployed brother Jonathan (Jon) is hilarious in a sad sort of way. He gave me chuckles a few times in this novel.

There were a few unrealistic aspects to this novel. Falling in love in a couple of hours seems strange, but I can give love at first sight the benefit of the doubt there. However, when everyone the character seems to know starts turning out to be vampires - I find that a little over the top.

But overall, I enjoyed this novel for what it was - a vampire novel with some pretty gorgeous guys that have a lot of money. Throw in some blood, battles and a five-hundred year old sibling rivalry combined with a giant fire-breathing dragon and you have Insatiable. This series is definitely on my radar for a good guilty pleasure.

Review: Once in a Full Moon by Ellen Shreiber

Once in a Full Moon
(Full Moon #1)

Author: Ellen Schreiber

Publication Date: December 28, 2010

Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books

Genre: Fantasy/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves--Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

My Thoughts: I really hoped that this would be an amazing werewolf story. I was really sad when it fell short of any expectations I had for it, especially since the beginning was good.

Celeste Parker is part of a sixome popular clique. Three best girlfriends dating three best guyfriends. What could possibly be more perfect? They did everything together. Until Brandon Maddox, a sexy new student at school catches Celeste’s attention. Celeste begins to reconsider everything in her life when Brandon heroically rescues her from a pack of wolves and unwittingly incites an ancient curse.

I really liked Celeste at the beginning of the book. She was refreshingly normal. However, as the book continued and Celeste failed to really adapt and grow she starting becoming really boring to me. The fact that she refuses to tell anyone she hangs out with Brandon, basically to save her and her friends’ popularity, really irked me too. She was lack-luster, self-absorbed and really cowardly in my opinion.

Celeste’s friends (and their boyfriends) were also self-absorbed and really self-entitled. They wanted Celeste to be with Nash (her former boyfriend and all-American athlete) just because it made sense and was the easiest for them all. The only person that seemed to stop and think about anyone else in this entire book was probably Brandon.

I also felt that once some of the side-characters told their story they disappeared off of the face of the universe - never to be mentioned, seen or heard from again.

There were a lot of things that really could have been done better in this book and I feel that it is a shame that the author didn’t go there. The overall feel was rushed, thrown together and a tad unfinished. If you are a fan of werewolf books, please stay away.

Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Matched
Matched #1

Author: Ally Condie

Publication Date: November 30, 2010

Publisher: Dutton Juvenile

Genre: Dystopian/SciFi

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Synopsis:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Thoughts: I bought this book about half a year ago, read the first couple of chapters and then stopped – mainly because a new book in a series I loved was released and I immersed myself in that. Sadly, I only just returned to Matched recently and finally finished it.

Matched is a dystopian novel in a society (called the Society) that controls everything about your life. They decide where you live, what you eat, how many kids you can have, what you do for work, your social status and even your future partner.

Cassia goes through the Matching ceremony where she finally gets to find out the identity of her future spouse.

Only, the there is a glitch and instead of one face, Cassia sees two.

Regrettably, Matched follows the exact same plot as every other young adult dystopian out there. Girl lives in world, girl becomes disillusioned with world, etc... If you are familiar with this genre, then you know what I am talking about. Not that I am knocking dystopians, I love them. It’s just I can’t read too many of them at the same time because it feels like I am reading the same book.

That said, I did enjoy reading Matched. I like dystopians and I feel that this book did the genre justice. I love the poems in it and I love Cassia’s fall into disillusionment. Cassia is a girl that knows what she knows and she doesn’t need the Society to tell her what to think.

Also, bad-boy Ky Markham is super sweet and delicious. He is one level up from the lowest class, but that doesn’t seem to affect him much. Xander Carrow is also sweet and caring and super lovely. I love them both and they both care about Cassia so much it almost hurts my heart.

If you enjoy the dystopian genre, you will most likely enjoy Matched. Although a bit predictable, it was a good read and I enjoyed it enough to move onto the next book - Crossed.

St. Vladimir's Summer School: Remedial Classes

Jen at Jen Ryland/YA Romantics and Steph at The Fake Steph Dot Com  started the St. Vladimir's Summer School. So I figured I would tag along and read some Vampire Academy since I still hadn't read it!! Lauren at The Headless Owl has also joined us!

So last week I didn't finish Last Sacrifice for the Summer School. So I spent the last few days reading every spare moment I got and finally finished it, only a week late..

Last Sacrifice
(Vampire Academy #6)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publication Date: December 7th 2010

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

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Synopsis:

They come first. My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world.

The dead could finally have me.

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 guardians 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: the assassination of a monarch. 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 whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

My Thoughts: I honestly can't believe that it took me so long to read this book. It wasn't because I didn't like it, I LOVED it! But I've just been so busy lately, so I never got a chance to finish it. So I'm slightly sad because the series is done, but there it always the Bloodlines series for me to read! Luckily, there are six books planned for that series as well.

Ok, so Last Sacrifice takes up where Spirit Bound left off, with Rose in jail. So much happens in this book. Rose's friends stage a jail break because they are running out of time to find Tatiana's killer (OMG, I couldn't believe who it was!!!) So they send Rose off to hide with Dimitri and Sydney, in a small town in the middle of no where. Of course, Rose isn't content to sit around waiting, she has her own agenda. So off she goes to find Lissa's illegitimate sibling to give Lissa a chance to vote in the council. Of course to give themselves more time, they have Lissa run for the throne, she can't win anyways. There are some very unlikely allies, heartbreak (<3 Adrian), sex and constant motion. Things are happening fast in this book, they can't go slowly because they are running out of time.

Rose changed so much in this book, at least I thought she did. She had a lot of realizations and made so many sacrifices. She does do something that made me sad, cheating on Adrian, but I guess that leaves him open for the Bloodlines series, so we'll get to read more about him  <3. Although his hurt made me very sad. Lissa is another character that grew a lot, growing into her royal role. I will admit that I teared up a few times while reading, I got so emotionally involved with the character's lives.  The character's are just so easy to fall in love with and want more from them. It's one of the reasons I'm sadabout this series ending, since there are some characters that likely won't continue on.

 Once again, Richelle Mead had me wanting to read non stop, even if I couldn't. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about it, even dreaming about it. Oh how I wish I'd had an Adrian induced spirit dream!! I read all of these in e-format, but I'm definitely going to be purchasing these for my collection, it's become a favorite for me. This is a series you don't want to miss out on. I can't wait to dive into Bloodlines! So if you haven't read Vampire Academy yet, do it, you won't be sorry!

St. Vladimir's Summer School: Spirit Bound

Ashelynn at Gypsy Book Reviews, Jen at Jen Ryland/YA Romantics and Steph at The Fake Steph Dot Com  started the St. Vladimir's Summer School. So I figured I would tag along and read some Vampire Academy since I still hadn't read it!! Lauren at The Headless Owl has also joined us!

 So i'm a little late getting my post up today, I know it's not really an excuse, but I have been working nights (which is when I normally do the majority of my reading and post writing!) and getting up at 7am after about 5 hours of sleepwith my daughter, who won't let me on the computer at all anymore when she's awake. So now that she's napping, I can get my post written up since I DID actually finish Spirit Bound! Amazingly, since I only started it Monday night.

Spirit Bound
(Vampire Academy #5)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publication Date: May 18th 2010

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong...

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri's birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir's-and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can't wait for their real lives beyond the Academy's iron gates to begin. But Rose's heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he's out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true. Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. And this time he won't rest until Rose joins him... forever.

My Thoughts: Alright, I can't wait to see how this series ends. I can't believe there is only one more book! It's somewhat saddening! I absolutely loved Spirit Bound! (Of course) and can't believe some of the things that happened in it! There was just  so much going on!

So Rose had returned to school and finally graduates, with the best marks in her class. Then it's off to the Royal Court where the new graduates will learn who they will be guarding in the future. Not that we ever get to the point of knowing who Rose will be guarding because once again, she takes off. This time she takes Lissa and Eddie with her and they break into a prison, the one that Victor is being held in, to bust him out. Then they head to Los Vegas to meet Victor's brother, another spirit user, to find out if there really is a way to return a Strigoi's soul to them. Of course there is, but it will require Lissa to charm a silver stake and then staking the Strigoi herself. No way Rose is going  to be letting that happen! Of course, true to his threats, Dimitri shows up in Vegas, during the day no less, and tries to kill Rose. They get away and head back to the Royal Court and safety, although Rose is put on probation for running off again. Lissa goes to check out her new university and she and Christian and the rest of their group are ambushed by Dimitri and his Strigoi. Dimitri keeps Lissa and Christian alive to use as bait for Rose. It works and the Royal Court is sending a rescue team. Rose knows she has to kill Dimitri now, there is no choice. She is either going to lose Lissa or Dimitri, and she would rather it be him.

Rose is such a complex character sometimes, it can be overwhelming. I can only imagine how she feels about it sometimes. If something can go wrong for her, it generally does.It doesn't help that she's being hunted down by one of the deadliest Strigoi out there. Things have at least been slightly patched up with Lissa and they are back to being friends, even if Rose is no longer going to be her guardian. There is something that happens with Dimitri, that was totally expected, but I'm still rooting for Team Adrian, although,  if Rose doesn't want him, I will be happy to fight Steph for him.

There was so much that went on during this book.  Always some kind of adventure of life changing event going on at court. Moroi history has been changed, new laws are being passed, and important people are being assassinated with others being accused of murder, when we know it wasn't them as the reader. Apparently  there is never a dull moment in Rose's life and I'm completely anxious to find out how this story is  going to wrap up. This is a series that keeps you  hanging on and the cliffhanger in this one was just... ugh! I  have to read Last Sacrifice. This series is just amazing and everyone has to read it. I keep asking people if they've read it and gotten someone else from work to start it.. I definitely recommend!!

Review: The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Daughter
(The Iron Fey #2)

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: July 27th, 2010

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: Urban Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

My Thoughts: Julie Kagawa really is a wonderful author. She just brings the world of the fey to a whole new level for me. I don't know why I waited so long to read this second installment of the series, but I'm glad I picked it back up.

In The Iron Daughter, we start off with Meghan being held by the Unseelie Court. She promised Ash she would go willingly, and she did. Nobody really knows what Mabs plans are with her, but when the Septer of Seasons is stolen from the Winter and one of thier Princes killed, Mab is furious. She decides it could only be Oberon who stole it and war follows. Meghan knows that it was really the Iron Fey who stole it. She just needs to convince Ash to help her get it back.

Alright, so there is one reason  that this book is only getting a 4 owl rating from me. The beginning. Meghan drove me completely mad. She was so stupid. Honestly. She whined and cried and even suffered from a broken heart because Ash was being so indifferent to her in the Unseelie Court. I have no idea what she was expecting, but apparently is must have been for him to claim his undying (forbidden) love for her in front of everyone. No, instead he did the right thing and acted like she was poop under his foot to keep her safe. Clearly, she doesn't understand this and was a complete whiner about it. Seriously, I was sitting there raging about how dumb she was to my friend at work. Clearly, I'm still a little upset about it. LUCKILY, she eventually realized that is was all an act and got back to being a pretty cool character again.

Aside from teenage girl stupidity, this book was pretty awesome. My favorite characters from The Iron King were back in it (Grimalkin!! He's so freaking awesome!) and I found a new favorite in Ironhorse. Seriously, almost EVERY single line he said cracked me up. Why? Because I always get this awesome image of a giant metal horse head just screaming everything. Even more funny when they are all whispering and he just starts screaming some more. So yeah, pretty much loved him!


As for Team Ash or Team Puck, I'm still firmly Team Ash!! Especially after the ending! I can't wait to start The Iron Queen after I finish up a couple of review books. So watch for that review next week!! If you're wondering if I would recommend this book or not, the answer is YES! Don't let some teen angst ruin the whole book for you, it really is only a little bit at the beginning (she was being such a drama queen..lol). Julie Kagawa MORE than made up for it with the rest of the book. So read it, you should probably even buy it because the covers for this series are freaking gorgeous and will look amazing on your shelf! They are definitely a purchase that I'm proud of!!

Review: The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

The Book of Awesome

Author: Neil Pasricha

Publication Date: April 15th, 2012

Publisher: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam

Genre: Humor

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Synopsis:

Sometimes it's easy to forget the things that make us smile. With a 24/7 news cycle reporting that the polar ice caps are melting, hurricanes are swirling in the seas, wars are heating up around the world, and the job market is in a deep freeze, it's tempting to feel that the world is falling apart. But awesome things are all around us-sometimes we just need someone to point them out.

My Thoughts: This was the most fun read I have had in a long time! I read this book with a constant smile on my face, and on many occasions I burst out laughing and received odd looks from those around me.  I have been wanting to read this book for a long time now, my brother-in-law got it and was nice enough to lend it to me. It is a pretty quick read, and I was sad when it was over because I was having such a good time reading it. Lucky for us, there's a book of even more awesome. I think I will have to get my hands on that one next.


The author is just so entertaining. His comedy and wit were wonderful. I was constantly reading lines, laughing and sharing them without whoever happened to be sitting closest to me. My husband was the victim of this most times, but he didn't seem to mind, he laughed right along with me! His comedic style almost instantly reminded me of Jerry Seinfeld, and I'm not the only person to think so. If you like Seinfeld's comedy at all, I think your're guaranteed to enjoy this book. The book strikes home a lot, I found myself nodding right along in complete agreement with his ideas and views, and as well, with the ever present smile on my face. I probably looked like a total goof reading with this giant smile on, but I didn't care!


This book is really for anyone and everyone of all ages and lifestyles. You don't have to be a "big reader" to enjoy this book. It's a very light, easy read and the pages fly by in no time. No matter what kind of genre you normally stick to, I think you'll find pleasure in this book. It was a nice break from the world of fantasy I tend to immerse myself in. Take a step back into the world around us and find all the little things that we take for granted but that are really so incredible, or as Neil would say "AWESOME!". So my advice to you is to go out and read this book, you will have fun, you will  laugh in spite of yourself, and you will want to share it with others.