Reading Review - You Are Mine by Janeal Falor

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life—worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Find it on Goodreads                                  Visit the Author's Website

Today's review is on You Are Mine by Janeal Falor. I had never heard anything about this book before, but when the author contacted me and asked if I wanted to review it, I was intrigued by the summary.

Honestly, when I started the book I wasn't enthralled by the first part. The characters seemed to be missing some development, and the world was lacking magical elements. There was a lot of abuse Serena goes through, and that was difficult to read about, but also because her situation seemed so hopeless. However, the story definitely got interesting after about 50 pages in.

As I read on, the characters became interesting, and the interactions between Serena the others. Intrigue begins to surround her and her household as danger presents itself, and Serena became a really unique character. The ending was really fantastic, and there was a lot of character and plot development. By the end, I was really happy I'd read this book, and found it a really unique addition to YA.

I gave this book 3.5 stars, and I think it's a great start to the series. This isn't a fantasy with a heavy concentration of magic and world building. It's pretty character driven, and so in the beginning it can drag, but quickly becomes an interesting and dynamic read.

Thank you so much to Janeal Falor for providing me with a copy for review! I have expressed my own thoughts and opinions on the book.

Have you read You Are Mine? What are your thoughts?

From the paper world,

V

Character Chat - Top Five Survival Buddies Part I

Hello, everyone, and welcome back to Character Chat! Today we are talking about the top five characters I would want to be my friends in case an apocalypse comes, or some other disastrous event. Now, because I love so many characters, I'm picking five guys and five girls to be my friends. If you want to see which are going to be my female friends, stay tuned for part II. For now, let's talk about the best guy friends a girl could ask for if the world was ending! As with all Character Chats, this list is limited to characters who I've read about in 2014. And, as an additional thing, these characters cannot be mentioned in my other list (Top Five Book Boyfriends). So, now that I've made things as difficult for myself as possible, let's get started.

If there was a disaster and I needed a few people to help me out, these are the guys I would choose...

no. 5 - Chase from Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

I recently read (and loved!) Article 5, and Chase definitely proves he can manage and survive on the road. He's a strong character that's resourceful and loyal. I definitely think that Chase is a character I can't wait to read more of (Three, the final book in the trilogy, released recently so I can marathon the last two books) and I would hope Chase would be on the team. He would be a driver and helpful getting supplies.

no. 4 - Raffe from Angelfall by Susan Ee

Raffe is a badass angel who can fight. He and Penryn manage to survive and work really well together, so I think that he would be essential to this team. Raffe would be able to fend off any attackers, and he would also be able to hear anything and keep us all safe. If Chase is handling supplies, Raffe is the guard.

no. 3 - Tarver from These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

Survival is definitely Tarver's forte. I mean, if you've read TBS, that's what he and Lilac do the entire book. But Tarver would also be great because, even in the midst of the efforts to survive, he's still thoughtful, funny, and kind. Working with him would be good because we'd have a survival expert who is also still compassionate and helpful.

no. 2 - Wolf from Cress by Marissa Meyer

 I love The Lunar Chronicles, and the characters are especially wonderful. Wolf is on this list because he is strong, helpful as a trainer, and also is sensitive to his surroundings. Plus, I love Wolf so I'm including him on this team. Thorne would be here too if he weren't already a book boyfriend!

no. 1 - Death from Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

Ok, Death would be the best guy to have on a survival, apocalypse team on two conditions- 1. if it is not the game that commences during the book (trying to avoid spoilers but if you've read you know what I'm talking about) 2. if it was said game, I would not be a contender in it. With that in mind, Death would be a fantastic team mate. He's got a freaking castle of supplies, luxury, and isolation so we would all be safe, very comfortable, and well supplied. Death's also a really great fighter, and we would be able to be sustainable, strong, defended, and able to just chill out and avoid whatever terrible thing is going on.

So, there is my list of characters I'd want with me in case the world was ending or something along those lines. Originally, this list started out as a 'Top Five Best Book Guy Friends' so like a best friends who are guys list, but once I saw who I'd put down for the first few, I thought this seemed much more fitting. Stay tuned for the girls who would be on this team, and for other Character Chats in general! Also, tell me your picks for this list if you want to down in the comments!

From the paper world,

V

The Five Star Spotlight - Endless Knight by Kresley Cole

*this is a review of a sequel, so there may be spoilers for the first novel. You can find my review of the first novel in The Arcana Chronicles, Poison Princess, here.*

Shocking secrets.
Evie has fully come into her powers as the Tarot Empress, and Jack was there to see it all. She now knows that the teens who’ve been reincarnated as the Tarot are in the throes of an epic battle. It’s kill or be killed, and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

Unexpected allies.
With threats lurking around every corner, Evie is forced to trust her newfound alliance. Together they must fight not only other Arcana, but also Bagmen zombies, post-apocalyptic storms, and cannibals.

Gut-wrenching treachery.
When Evie meets Death, things get even more complicated. Though falling for Jack, she’s drawn to the dangerous Endless Knight as well. Somehow the Empress and Death share a history, one that Evie can’t remember—but Death can’t forget…

In this seductive follow-up to Poison Princess, #1 New York Timesbestselling author Kresley Cole takes us deeper into the dark world of the Arcana Chronicles.

Endless Knight on Goodreads                 Visit the Author's Website

It's time for yet another Five Star Spotlight, and today's is on a sequel that I read in February and loved. Endless Knight is the second book in the Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole. The first book, Poison Princess, is one I read within a day or two because it was so fast paced and interesting. I immediately picked up the sequel and this book was even better. This is a really unique series, and as I've already reviewed Poison Princess I wanted to share my thoughts on its sequel.

The last book was very interesting and fast paced, and this book continued on that trend. Evie's journey is filled with action, danger and intrigue. The story develops and this installation adds a lot of intrigue as we learn more about the characters and their histories. The histories of these players goes back further than we'd seen in Poison Princess, and there's a lot of reveals that are going to impact the rest of the series. The story went in a unique direction, and I loved how this story was different from the first book. I really liked how this book developed with more intrigue as the characters developed.

Speaking of character development, this book was fantastic in that area. Evie faced a lot of internal conflict in the last book, and while that was still present it wasn't overdone. Instead, this book reveals more about Death, and he is probably the most interesting character in the book to me. These two characters were really interesting in their interactions and story, and I'm curious as to how their characters will be in the next book. I wasn't a fan of Jack in this book, even less so than in the last book, but all of the characters grew in this story, and it was great to learn more about them in this sequel.

This is a fantastic sequel to a series that's very engaging and interesting. The plot has definitely grown even more complicated, and the ending leaves a lot of conflict to be resolved in the next book. Evie and Death particularly had some amazing character development and interactions, but overall every character grew in some way. After this book I can't wait to read the third book, Dead of Winter, and this series has books that are quick reads and well developed characters. I hope this is a series and not just a trilogy, because I love reading about this world and these characters! 

Have you read The Arcana Chronicles? Let me know your thoughts!

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?

Who can Evie trust?

As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

Poison Princess on Goodreads              Visit the Author's Website

Today's review is on a book that I've been curious about and finally picked up at the beginning of February - Poison Princess by Kresley Cole. The idea behind this book is really unique, and the book was engrossing. I ended up reading it in two sittings, and it was an enjoyable read. The one area that seemed to be weaker than the others was in the characters, but aside from that this is a great start to the Arcana Chronicles.

Typically, I begin a review with my thoughts on the characters, and so I thought I'd address why I thought they were lacking. The protagonist, Evie, was a good narrator. I found her character to be interesting, undergoing a major internal conflict, and developing into a very interesting lead. However, the other characters didn't read as well to me. The male protagonist, Jack, was interesting but not my favorite lead. His and Evie's relationship seemed random to me, and as characters they lacked a good dynamic. The supporting characters were all mysterious enough, but also annoying and again lacked a good dynamic with each other. Selena's character in particular bothered me, as she didn't seem to add anything to the story in general. However, I think that the characters can improve in the sequel and I'm hoping that they will prove to be more interesting and have more interaction and development in the sequel.

The story itself was very engaging. I was engrossed in the story and with what was going on. The idea is unlike anything I've read, and I'm curious to read on in the series. There are a lot of details and obstacles in the world that kept the story fast paced. Generally, the world building was limited to the aftershock of the Flash- not much is explained in terms of the supernatural that's in the story. However, as Evie learns more about what's happening, there's more to discover in the sequel. 

I really enjoyed this book. Although some of the characters were lacking, the world and concept are interesting enough to make this book a good start to the series. After reading it, I'm definitely excited to pick up the sequel and continue on.

From the paper world,

V

Tag - The Chocolate Book Tag

I saw this video by Little Book Owl and loved it! I think the chocolate and fun is always a good choice, so I thought I'd share this wonderful tag with you all!

The Questions - 

no. 1 - Dark Chocolate; a book that covers a dark topic. (abuse, rape, violence, etc.)

I chose Stolen by Lucy Christopher. This is a letter from a girl to her captor, and the story is very dark and an interesting read. I read this years ago, so I don't have a review of it on the blog, but it's a very thought provoking, intense novel. 

no. 2 - White Chocolate; your favorite light-hearted, humorous read

I recently picked up Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, and this book was adorable. This definitely fits a lighthearted read, even though there is still depth and emotion to this. Plus, Reagan cracked me up, so I found it funny.

no. 3 - Milk Chocolate; a book that has a lot of hype that you're dying to read

Across the Universe by Beth Revis. I've heard this is an incredible sci-fi, and I'm definitely hoping to read more of that genre soon- I'm actually currently reading this with Kerrie.

no. 4 - Chocolate with a Caramel Center; a book that made you feel all gooey in the middle when you were reading it

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi has so many swoon worthy moments, I've just fallen in love with this book. There's a lot of action and plot, but why this makes me so happy is because its a series finale that is truly wonderful.

no. 5 - Wafer Free Kit-Kat; name a book that surprised you lately

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd. I had thought this would be a historical fiction, and that's not among my favorite genres. However, this an eerie, creepy retelling- the whole trilogy is a different, mysterious and darker retelling for each book. This was a great read, and I'm so excited that this series is so unique!

no. 6 - Snickers; a book that you are going nuts about

Hmm...it's been awhile, but can I still talk about Unhinged by A.G. Howard? Because that series you guys...it's amazing.

no. 7 - Hot Chocolate with Cream and Marshmallows; what book would you turn to for a comfort read? 

I would probably turn back to The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. I love these books, they were some of my childhood favorites, and it's always comfortingly nostalgic to pick them back up.

no. 8 - Box of Chocolates; what series have you read that you feel has a wide variety and a little something for everyone?

I'm going to talk about two. Sorry, but there can be two different boxes of chocolates, right? More chocolate for everyone!

First is The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. This has been one of my favorite series for years. It's action, adventure, Shadowhunters, love, betrayal, struggle...and the last book comes out in May and I don't think I'm ready.

Next, The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer. Each book has a new protagonist with their own chapters, but the others stick around too, so there's a favorite character for everyone. It's sci-fi and fairy tale retellings, so it combines some really fantastic genres. And it's also got action, romance, intrigue, danger, fun, wit...so yes, two fantastic boxes of chocolate to enjoy.

There is the Chocolate Book Tag! This is so sweet (pun intended- I'm sorry I had to) and fun and I definitely encourage you all to do it, or comment below with your picks!

From the paper world,

V

The Five Star Spotlight - Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

From the author of the New York Times bestseller Eleanor & Park.

A coming-of-age tale of fan fiction, family and first love. 

Cath is a Simon Snow fan.

Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan . . .

But for Cath, being a fan is her life — and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.

Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this?

Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? Writing her own stories?

And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Fangirl on Goodreads                  Author's Website

Today is a Five Star Spotlight on a contemporary novel that has been talked about for quite awhile- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell! I finally picked this book up in February, and I really enjoyed it. I wasn't sure if I was going to love it as much as everyone else, since I'm not a fan of contemporary, but I was impressed by this novel.

To begin, the main character Cath is written to be very life-like. Cath suffers from social anxiety and reading along in the beginning was even making me nervous for her! All of the other characters are written in such a way that the reader connects with them as well. They are interesting, dynamic, and don't have the cliches that I see in many contemporaries. There are problems in Cath's life, and they aren't perfectly resolved by the end of the novel. 

The book is very fun and lighthearted, but it's not all fluff. Cath really develops as a character in this book, and her sister does as well. Cath and her love interest don't have a perfect romance, but again it stays away from cliches. This really is a story about Cath, and who she is. Although there's romance, family drama, and other difficulties that come up in life, Fangirl shows how Cath learns and grows from these. A major aspect of this is also her writing, which was fun to see glimpses of and also what inspired it throughout. This book was so wonderful and unique that it was fun and romantic without being overbearing or overdone. Even if you aren't a fan of typical contemporary like me, I would still suggest you try reading this book. It's fun but with realistic characters, and I throughly enjoyed reading it!

Have you read Fangirl or Eleanor & Park? I've yet to read the latter so let me know your thoughts!

From the paper world,

V

Reading Review - Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.
 
Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

Antigoddess on Goodreads                    Visit the Author's Website

Today I have yet another review for you all. This is about one of the books I read in the 24 Hour Readathon. Antigoddess is the first book in a new series called the Goddess Wars. I picked this book up after the synopsis and loving Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake. This book is really great, and I ended up rating it 4 out of 5 stars. The book has a wonderful mix of Greek mythology, lore, history, and the modern world. There's a lot of great qualities in this book, and it's a great start to a series I can't wait to continue.

This book is different from other Greek mythology meets modern day type series. A factor that really set this book apart is that it combines more than typical Olympus and the Greek gods. While those elements do feature in the book, it also combines Ancient Greek lore and history, such as the war of Troy and the Odyssey. I really appreciated that after reading and enjoying the Odyssey, and always being interested in Troy. The combination with the Greek mythology was really well done- the story came together nicely. This retelling was really unique because it brought more to the retelling than basic mythology.

The characters are also unique to this book. There are two main story lines, and you all have seen how I love multiple POVs and story lines. The first follows Athena and Hermes. Honestly, this was probably one of my favorite versions of Athena that I've read. Her character is so much grittier and real in this book. Athena is typically portrayed as perfect, almost marble-like in her remoteness. This Athena was strong, willing to go to great lengths for survival, and sarcastic and witty. This added so much to her story, and made me like her character a lot more. Hermes is normally portrayed as more relatable and comical, so his character was more akin to the other versions of him I'd read, but still very well written regardless. The other story line followed more modern characters, with Cassandra and Aidan. These two had a great story; it developed so well over the course of the novel. These two were characters I connected to really quickly, and I loved reading about them as well.
Now, to the reason this book lost a star. The plot and its pacing were the only problem I had with the book. This book was good, and easy to read, however it wasn't very fast paced or action packed. It is understandable, because it's a first book and it's necessary to introduce the main conflict and characters as well as some world building, but there's a lot of exposition here. There are a few action scenes, and those are fast paced and a lot happens, but the majority of the book is just development. However, by the end I was really engaged in this book and I could not wait to read more of this series, world, and characters.

Overall, this is a great start. It does have a little bit of the typical first book problem- it has more exposition and general development- but this is an incredible beginning. The characters are so unique and fresh, reading about them is enjoyable and interesting. The world is made with more than just typical Greek mythology, including references to lore, Homer's works, and the Greek gods and legends. This is a series I would definitely recommend starting, and I've added the sequel Aristeia to my 'can't wait books of 2014'.
If you've read this book, let me know what you think!

From the paper world,
V

Top Ten Books on My Spring TBR - Top Ten Tuesday

I always love the Top Ten Tuesday prompts, but this is one I'm especially excited for. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish and it's always fun to talk about these topics and see what others have posted. So, let's talk about books in my spring TBR. I'm going to feature books releasing in April and May for this post. 

Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige
Stolen Songbird by Danielle L. Jensen
Of Breakable Things by A. Lynden Rolland
Dreams of Gods & Monsters by Laini Taylor
Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins
The Warrior by Victoria Scott
Feather Bound by Sarah Raughley
The One by Kiera Cass
Of Neptune by Anna Banks
City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

It's surprising how many of my favorite series are going to be ending this spring. While I'll definitely miss them, I'm so excited to be returning to the world and the characters, and seeing how the adventures end. There are a few debuts in here as well that I'm excited for. Basically spring 2014 will have some amazing books coming out! Are any of these your picks? What are some of your favorite series?

From the paper world,

V

What I'm Looking Forward To - Most Anticipated Releases of March 2014

It's the time of year when suddenly there are more incredible books coming out than I have time to read or money to buy. A wonderful problem, however! At the end of February, plenty of incredible books were released, and March is full of even more awesome releases. Per usual, I do want to give the disclaimer that this is just the ones I'm looking forward to and have heard of, so if you've got some other YA picks you're excited about, share down in the comments! Without further ado...

March 1, 2014

   Gilded by Christina Farley

March 3, 2014

Half Bad by Sally Green

March 4, 2014

The Assassin's Blade

Nil by Lynne Matson

The Nightmare Dilemma by Mindee Arnett

The 57 Lives of Alex Wayfare

Let the Storm Break by Shannon Messenger

Death Sworn by Leah Cypess

Is March 4 the day of pretty blue covers in YA? Because wow. Absolutely gorgeous covers and colors.

March 11, 2014

The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson

March 17, 2014

See Me by Wendy Higgins

March 18, 2014

Side Effects May Vary by Julie Murphy

Elusion by Claudia Gabel & Cheryl Klam

March 20, 2014

Dangerous Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Starling by Fiona Paul

March 25, 2014

Nearly Gone by Elle Cosimano

An Ice Princess Dream by Alivia Anders

So, there are some of the new releases for this month! Sorry for the delay in posting, but I hope you can find some new books to read this month, and let me know about some you're excited for! Overall, March looks pretty spectacular for new releases, and spring is definitely going to have some incredible books coming out.

From the paper world,

V

Monthly Wrap Up - February 2014

So... that January Wrap Up never happened...

Welcome to the February Monthly Wrap Up! This month was filled with awesome books, and I ended up writing a lot of reviews as well and completing some towards my challenges. So, let's take a look.

What I Read...


Poison Princess by Kresley Cole                        Endless Knight by Kresley Cole
Ink by Amanda Sun                                           Golden by Cameron Dokey
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd     Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
 Cress by Marissa Meyer                                  Article 5 by Kristen Simmons


What I Reviewed...
 Angelfall by Susan Ee
 Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier
Sapphire Blue by Kerstin Gier
The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

What I Participated In...

I did a guest post on A Backwards Story where I reviewed Golden by Cameron Dokey. This was part of the Week of Rapunzel celebration. I had a lot of fun reading and writing up my review, and it was my first guest post. Bonnie has an amazing blog, so definitely check it out!


I participated in the Book Blogger Love-A-Thon Alexa and Katelyn hosted and this was such an incredible experience. Not only were the challenges and posts tons of fun, but I met a bunch of new bloggers and started a series on books and travel that I've wanted to post since I was planning out this blog.

I helped with a Giveaway for Melissa Landers  and so the blog saw its first Rafflecopter.

I reached over 200 followers on my Twitter and it's been a lot of fun to talk to you all there.

So, for those keeping track of my reviews for challenges... I'm falling dreadfully behind. However, I've read and reviewed quite a few books so those reviews are coming up as well. Keep in mind that some of my reviews are posted on Goodreads, so you can always check out my reviewed on Goodreads shelf through the sidebar. Also, I constantly forget to link up my reviews to the host blogs, but if you participate be sure to do so! I'm planning on doing that soon!


Six Reviews for Bookish's 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge



None for The Story Siren's 2014 Debut Author Challenge (how have I not read any 2014 debuts yet?!)


Five Reviews for Novel Heartbeat and Writer Girl's 2014 Prequel & Sequel Challenge

February 2014...
This was a great month. I met a lot of new bloggers and found some great blogs as well, so expect a Blog Roll in the works soon. I hope you all had a wonderful month as well, and best wishes for March 2014!

From the paper world,
V