My Favorite Reads of Summer 2012

I still can't believe that the summer is almost over and fall is on it's way. It seems like just a few days ago it was the beginning of June and I couldn't wait to jump into all the books I wanted to read for the summer, but I have read some very amazing books the past three months. Here's a compiled list of the books I loved the best.

*Books Marked with a star were released this past summer.

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I loved this book because it had such amazing characters and emotion, as well as a smoking hot guy!

*My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
This was a lovely contemporary with a beautiful setting with characters that felt real to me, it was just beautiful.

The Selection by Kiera Cass
Though there is a lot of back and forth of weather or not its good or bad, I loved it to death. The world and the characters and the ideas smashed into this wonderful piece!

Breathe by Sarah Crossen (This book releases October 2012)
Though this isn't out yet I still had to add it to my list. The thing that made this book what it is was the setting. In dystopian books the story I barely see worlds that captivate me the way this world did.

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington 
This one had it's goods and bads but the goods totally made the book how it is. The paranormal aspects in this story were very fascinating and again with the hot guys!

Saving June by Hannah Harrington
This story was really a heart breaker in a good way. This story was a road trip book with emotional twists that hit you in the heart. 

*Endlessly by Kiersten White
An amazing ending to an amazing series, with a hilarious narration.

*Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
I have so much trouble explaining this book but it is hands down the best fantasy I have ever read.

*Smart Girls Get What They Want by Sarah Strohmeyer 
 This book was equal parts funny, shocking and crazy and it worked out somehow. I loved it!

*A Want So Wicked by Susanne Young
This series is just... crazy but in a heart breakingly beautiful way. I really can't explain anything about this book without spoiling the first one big time.

The Other Life by Suzanne Winnacker
Just like Breathe, the big part that caught me about this book was the setting. The world just got me hooked and I loved it.

*Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
Heart. Breaking. Madness. Romance. Love. Craziness. Oh. My. Gosh.

Review: Between the Sea and Sky

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Publication Date: October 25th 2011
Pages: 229
Source: Library
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alander, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alander band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

Between the Sea and Sky is a nice, light story with a historical paranormal setting which has a very unique story and lovely characters. The book is about a Siren named Esmerine who goes on a mission on land to find her sister who she believes had been taken by humans. On her trip she seeks the help of a Alander, a boy who she knew as a child who is a winged being. On their trip Esmerine faces the hardships of life on land versus in the sea as well as finding a romance she didn't expect.

The most unique thing in this story was how the author combined a historical and paranormal themes. Both the Mermaid and Winged beings are well known creatures in the human world the book takes place in. It's almost as if three separate worlds work together as one on the same planet. I really liked  how this aspect of the story was very original and interesting. I also liked how, in the book, all three worlds were visited.

The main characters in the book are Alander and Esmerine. Alander is a winged being, who lives in the human world and works at a book shop. Alander is very book smart and a good friend toward Esmerine. Esmerine is a siren who goes to land out of worry of her sister's life thinking she has been taken by humans. That's really all I can think to say about those two... I feel like the characters weren't as well developed as I wish that had been. I feel like I barely know much about them except that the are both good people who try to the the right thing and both love books. I did like the bits of romance between the two characters but it seemed very insta-lovey. There was very little time between their first kiss and when Esmerine decides she loves Alander.

Though overall this book was good I had a bit of trouble taking it seriously. I have a feeling that the reason this book didn't really make it for me was because right before I read it I had read a really really good, heavy book and this one was just so different and light compared to the one that I had read before it that it just didn't make it in my expectations that the time.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/29/12 Ask the Passenger

Ask the Passengers by A.S. King
October 23rd 2012

Astrid Jones copes with her small town's gossip and narrow-mindedness by staring at the sky and imagining that she's sending love to the passengers in the airplanes flying high over her backyard. Maybe they'll know what to do with it. Maybe it'll make them happy. Maybe they'll need it. Her mother doesn't want it, her father's always stoned, her perfect sister's too busy trying to fit in, and the people in her small town would never allow her to love the person she really wants to: another girl named Dee. There's no one Astrid feels she can talk to about this deep secret or the profound questions that she's trying to answer. But little does she know just how much sending her love--and asking the right questions--will affect the passengers' lives, and her own, for the better.

In this unmistakably original portrayal of a girl struggling to break free of society's boxes and definitions, Printz Honor author A.S. King asks readers to question everything--and offers hope to those who will never stop seeking and sharing real love

I heard about this book on Paige's Blog when she talked about it in one of her videos and it sounded really good. Though I'm not positive I think it's a road trip book and I think I'll really like it.

Review: Saving June

Saving June by Hannah Harrington 

Publisher: Harlequin
Publication Date: November 22 2011
Pages: 322
Source: Harlequin Teen Panel
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Goodreads

When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

Saving June just left me completely... speechless. I absolutely LOVED this book. The moment I read the synopsis I knew that I would love it. Not only is Saving June a road trip book (which always rock) but it had a very powerful story that went along with it. Harper's older sister committed suicide and now her divorced parents are about to split her ashes. To stop her sister's ashes from being split in half, Harper takes her sister's ashes and along with her best friend and a mysterious boy who had been tutored by June, they head to California where June had always wanted to live to spread her ashes.

I really liked the fact that it was a road trip  book. I've only read a few like it and I've loved them all so far. Road trip books are really just super fun, quick vacations without all the travel costs and I loved that! Books like this also usually have tough issues that are worked out in them and that makes the trips that much more special, like in this book when Harper spreads June's ashes and figures out all that June had  been going through before she committed suicide.

The characters are really what made this book special. Harper is the main character and I really admire her bravery for even going on this trip to spread her sister's ashes. On this trip she goes with her best friend Laney, who is an amazing supporting character who is always there for Harper even though she is also going through a lot of crap in her life, I really can't imagine the book without her. The one other companion Harper takes with on the trip is the very mysterious Jake who suddenly shows up at her sister's funeral and then offers to take them on the trip. Jake wasn't really my type of guy exactly though he was really interesting and was totally obsessed with music which had a big part in the story.

Finally, I really enjoyed the ending. By the end all the loose ends were tied and there was possibility of a happy ending for all of the characters without being too vague, a must read!

Book Haul 8/26/12

Library

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins 

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Ebooks Purchased

(Cold Kiss is Currently Free for Kindle and Nook!)

What did you get this week? Have you read any of these books?

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake 

Publisher: Tor Teen
Publication Date: August 30th 2011
Pages: 316
Source: Library
Genre: Horror, Mild Romance
Goodreads

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life

Anna Dressed in Blood is only the second Horror book I have read since I started blogging and  I really liked this book. Personally, horror books really don't scare me, but I do like how different they are from other books out there. Anna Dressed in blood is the story of Cas, a ghost hunter who gets a hint about a ghost named Anna who haunts her childhood home and kills anyone who comes inside of it. When he goes to hunt down Anna for the first time in his life he really gets to know a ghost and becomes friends with Anna, but one the biggest question remains, why didn't Anna kill him?

One of my favorite things about this entire book was the fact that it was told in a male point of view. There are way to many books told in female points of view these days and Cas has such an interesting life. I really liked that it was told from his point of view.

The ghost Cas is hunting, Anna has a very major part in the book as well. At the beginning of the book she really was a scary character, and a lot of the time she seemed to have either a very harsh personality or a pleasant personality when she was alone with Cas. By the end of the book she really was able to grow as a character, though not it a way that normal characters would.

Anna Dressed in  Blood was built up really well. I really liked how the story begins with Cas only beginning to think about going to get Anna and how it builds up to him finally getting to Thunder Bay (where she is) and slowly learning about her before he finally  meets her and learns her side of the story.

 A really random thing I liked about this book was the text, the text was a red tinged brown like dried blood, but it was still dark enough to be easy to read.

The only thing I wish they had done differently was the fact that they have a sequel that recently came out. This book would be just fine without a second book, and I don't think I will read the sequel.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/22/12 Destroy Me

Destroy Me by Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me 1.5)
Publication Date: October 2nd 2012

Back at the base and recovering from his near-fatal wound, Warner must do everything in his power to keep his soldiers in check and suppress any mention of a rebellion in the sector. Still as obsessed with Juliette as ever, his first priority is to find her, bring her back, and dispose of Adam and Kenji, the two traitors who helped her escape. But when Warner’s father, The Supreme Commander of The Reestablishment, arrives to correct his son’s mistakes, it’s clear that he has much different plans for Juliette. Plans Warner simply cannot allow.

Set after Shatter Me and before its forthcoming sequel, Unravel Me, Destroy Me is a novella told from the perspective of Warner, the ruthless leader of Sector 45.

I know this is a novella, but I really can't wait for it anyway. I am a huge fan of Shatter Me and really can't wait until the sequel, but if I have to wait until 2013 I might as well get a chance to read a little more into the story- right?

Review: Embrace

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Publication Date: March 6th 2012
Pages: 369
Source: Library
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads

On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.
Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.

When I picked up this book I had absolutely no expectations, though I had heard a few mentions about how excited people were for the second book in the series. Embrace completely blew me away. Embrace is the story of Violet. Violet's mother died in child birth and now lives hating her birthday every year. Right after her 17th birthday, weird things begin to happen when she overhears her best guy friend (and secret crush) talking to a strange boy about them both being Grigori, humans with a parent who has died within 12 days of their birth and a special place on earth by defending the earth of the angels who have been exiled to earth.


I absolutely loved the paranormal in this story. The way that the paranormal is put together is really very unique and thought out. I really liked how the author came up with the idea that people with a parent who died when they are an infant becomes a Grigori.

I really liked the characters. Violet was very strong hearted and had an artistic personality, and at the same time she is able to hold her own and be strong when she needs to. Lincoln was also a favorite of mine. It's obvious that he just wants to help Violet and that he cares for her a lot, though he might not always be the best at showing it.

The biggest part of the story that made me almost cringe a little was the way that the Grigori 'Embrace' or come to there powers. When that part hits the cheese factor gets cranked up way to high and it just totally didn't go for me. I thought that the author had so much potential to make those few chapters so much better than they were, I was a bit disappointed.

I also really, really hated the love triangle. Love triangles really seem to be becoming really juvenile to me. If you really love someone, your really shouldn't even be thinking about someone else now should you!? Okay. I'm done with that short little rant. The love triangle was a little bit different than a normal triangle, but it still really bugged me.

Overall I REALLY liked this story. Though there were some points that made me roll my eyes I still can't help but love it with all my heart. Even with my dislikes I still have to give it five stars because the things I did like about the story out stood the parts I didn't.

Review: Gilt

 
Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Publisher: Viking Juvenile
Publication Date: May 15th 2012
Pages: 406
Source: Library
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance
Goodreads

When Kitty Tylney’s best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII’s heart and brings Kitty to court, she’s thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat’s shadow, Kitty’s now caught between two men—the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat’s meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

Gilt is one of the most interesting realistic historical fiction books I have read in a long time. Gilt tells a story from the time of the reign of Henry VIII when the best friend (Cat) of the main charter (Kitty) is able to worm her way into the king's heart and become the new queen, and Kitty is pulled into the life of the court as she becomes the favorite of the queen and she tries to live the life and lies of the court.

This is the first time in a long time that I have read a historical fiction book about a time and characters that really existed. At the very end of the book I found it really interesting to read the authors nowt where she broke down each of the characters and told us which ones she created or manipulated in the story, the ones she changed the name or age of and the bits of the story she had to add or subtract to fit her way of telling the story. It surprised me an awful lot when I found out how much of the story she did not change what so ever. 

Gilt has a very friendship based setting between the main character, Kitty and her best friend, Cat as Cat rises higher in British society. Though Cat is a horrible, horrible friend to Kitty, there were very, very brief moments when it seemed like Cat really did rely on Kitty more than should would have liked to admit. In the world of the court there was a lot of lies and internal conflict that Kitty had to cover up for Cat and it's very emotional/internal conflict. Though I absolutly hated Cat and her terrible attitude (from what I know about the time I think Catherine Howard might have really been like that) I really loved how this book revolved around their friendship and Kitty's loyalty toward Cat, not to mention I really like their nicknames for one another!

There were bits of romance here and there in the book, but they were very low key and unimportant in the book as a whole, though I really did love how cute the romance was when it popped up.

Overall this book was really interesting and even a bit educational, though it was a little slow at times.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/15/12 Time Between Us

Time Between  Us by Tamara Ireland Stone
Publication Date: October 8th 2012
Goodreads

Anna and Bennett were never supposed to meet: she lives in 1995 Chicago and he lives in 2012 San Francisco. But Bennett’s unique ability to travel through time and space brings him into Anna’s life, and with him, a new world of adventure and possibility.

As their relationship deepens, they face the reality that time might knock Bennett back where he belongs, even as a devastating crisis throws everything they believe into question. Against a ticking clock, Anna and Bennett are forced to ask themselves how far they can push the bounds of fate—and what consequences they can bear in order to stay together.

Top Ten Tuesday 8/14/12

Top Ten Tuesday is Hosted by the ladies at Broke and Bookish

This Week's Topic: 

Top Ten Book Romances That You Think Would Make It In The Real World 

1. & 2. Anna and St. Claire & Lola and Cricket from Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

I now proclaim Stephanie Perkins to be the queen of all things YA Contemporary Romance. Seriously, her books are the best. Her characters are funny and super unique, I love them <3

 3. Hazel and Agustus from The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

John Green is a freaking genius. John Green creates the most loveable nerdiest characters ever, those two are PERFECT for each other.

4. Charlotte and Harlin from A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young

The title says it all.

5. Jordan and Sam from Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

Sports + Romance, very interesting combination made so amazing.

6. Amy and Roger from Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson

Road trip book! Need I say more?

7. Alex and Aiden from Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

If you have not read this book you  better go get it now. I'm serious.

8. Juliette and Adam from Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

This book has such... amazing writing and emotion. There. Is. Not. Words.

9. Meghan and Ash from The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

Again with the geniuses. I wish I was as smart as this lady.

10. Cam and Asher from The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder 

Such a sad book with such an amazing couple. *Heart Breaks*

Review: Vanish

Vanish by Sophie Jordan

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: September 6th 2011
Pages: 294
Source: Library
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

If you have not read the first book in this series there may  be some minor spoilers.

After I finished Firelight I was very, very excited to get my hands on it's sequel,  Vanish because I really really liked Firelight and it's amazing story. After reading Vanish I was a little bit disappointed in how it continued the story and I really wish I could have just skipped over it. Vanish continues the story of Jacinda and her troubles in her family, love life, and her difficulties being a Draki, a decedent of dragons.

I really liked how the story jumped right into where the plot left off in the story. Firelight left us off on a bit of a cliff hanger- almost literally, and Vanish jumped right back into the action. It was a bit hard to get into the book again because it was a little bit dry and emotional right off the bat, but after a few chapters I got into it again.

The biggest problem I had with this book was that it has a lot of the typical Second-Book-in-Series issues that a lot of books have and that really annoyed me. In Firelight Jacinda gets in a relationship with a boy named Will, and in the end Jacinda is taken back to the Darki pride (village) where her family has recently run away from. In this book there is a lot of trust issues that happen between Will and Jacinda and a lot of emotional internal-conflict that is really common among second books in series. I really wish that this book hadn't had those problems because the first one had so much potential.

Overall I really didn't like how this book turned out in the end. By the end of the book things did work out but it was really hard to get to that point.

Review: Timepiece

Timepiece by Myra McEntire

Publisher: EgmontUSA
Publication Date: June 12 2012
Pages: 336
Source: Library
Genre: Paranormal, Romance
Goodreads

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

Timepiece is a lovely sequel in the very wonderful Hourglass series and I am very glad I read it. Timepiece picks up where Hourglass left off but this time with a different narrator- Kaleb. In Timepiece the Hourglass are faced with trying to fix time when a man that used to work with them begins to steal memories from people as well as murdering people.

I really loved that this book was told in Kaleb's point of view! When I fist heard that it was being told from his perspective I wasn't sure how much I would like that. I the first book Kaleb was having a hard time in life and was often drunk or high and I was afraid that would happen throughout the book, but gladly the only time he was drunk was at the very beginning of the book.

Emerson's best friend Lily is in this book a lot more that it is in the first book. Though the entire story Kaleb and Lily slowly go from hate each other relationship to a I still hate you but I sort of like you relationship and I thought that was super cute, I loved it!

In both Hourglass and Timepiece I really loved the plots of both stories. Both stories have really interesting plots with the paranormal time powers that all of the teens in the hourglass have. The way the story is written is just really mind blowing and super unique, I just absolutely love it.

The first book, Hourglass is told in Emerson's point of view. It felt like there was a lack of Emerson in this story. I thought that there might be a little bit more of her in this sequel because she was the main character in Hourglass and I kind of missed her.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/8/12

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater
Publication Date: September 18th 2012
Goodreads

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

Review: My Life in Black and White

My Life in Black and White by Natasha Friend

Publisher: Viking Juvenile 
Publication Date: June 28th 2012
Pages: 294
Source: Library
Genres: Contemporary
Goodreads

Lexi has always been stunning. Her butter-colored hair and perfect features have helped her attract friends, a boyfriend, and the attention of a modeling scout. But everything changes the night Lexi's face goes through a windshield. Now she's not sure what's worse: the scars she'll have to live with forever, or what she saw going on between her best friend and her boyfriend right before the accident. With the help of her trombone-playing, defiantly uncool older sister and a guy at school recovering from his own recent trauma, Lexi learns she's much more than just a pretty face.

This was a really heartbreaking but beautiful story about Lexie, a girl who has  been known as the "pretty one" her entire life, and then the world as she knew it hit a brick wall when she went face first through a windshield. My Life in Black and White is a story of friendship and identity as Lexie faces her best friend Taylor's betrayal that she found out about right before getting a ride home with her Taylor's brother who crashed the car.

The first few chapters in this  book were really well done. The book starts out telling the story of Lexie and Taylor's friendship and how one thing led to another in the entire story. The way the story was introduced gave it a much different flavor than it would have had without such an introduction to what is happening in the story.

One of the things that really drew me to this book was the very interesting and gripping synopsis (above) and just how interesting the story is. I love how this book has a strong personal identity theme in which Lexie tries to reconnect with who she is after feeling that her "Pretty Girl" life is now gone. She discovered that she didn't have to be who she was before nor did she have to change. She thought that just because she looked different now that all the people she called friends would abandon her, and then she learned that that was not the case whatsoever.

My Life in Black and White also centers on the friendship story of Taylor and Lexie. Though I didn't like how it was mainly centered on the troubles in their friendship, I really did like how there was a strong connection between the two friends and I loved how their story was told.

My biggest issue with the story was Lexie's best friend Taylor. Taylor was just... a terrible friend really. Taylor did something terrible that ruined her and Lexie's friendship and with everything that she said and did in the story I really didn't think she deserved to be friends with Lexie again.

Book Haul 8/4/12

This week I got several books I am super excited for.

Won 

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth- Thanks to Lisseth

Library

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young (Reread)

A Want so Wicked by Suzanne Young

Fullmetal Alchemist 1 by Hiromu Arakawa (Recommended by Jasmine)

Fullmetal Alchemist 2 by Hiromu Arakawa

Smart Girls Get What they Want by  Sarah Strohmeyer 

I am super excited for all of these books, I won't be doing any manga reviews, but I would be interested if you have any recommendations of manga/anime. 

What did you get this week?

Review: The Selection

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: April 24th 2012
Pages: 327
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Source: Library
Goodreads

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Though there is some very vastly different opinions about weather this is an amazing or awful book, I personally have to side with the people who loved it. The Selection is a lovely story about a girl who lives is a dystopian county with a monarchy and a caste system in place.  As tradition in the monarchy, the recently come of age prince of the country has to find a wife by getting to know one young woman from each province and slowly choosing a wife "The Bachelor" style. America truly wants  nothing to do with the selection, but when her parents and boyfriend insist that she cannot turn down a chance to be chosen to get to know the prince, she reluctantly agrees thinking there is no chance of her winning, but weeks later her name is called on the television. And America has been selected.

I really liked the general plot and writing of the story. The entire book had a very beautiful feel to it and  book had a lot of character that I loved to pieces. I think that the way the main character is written makes the story seem very alive and elegant even though America wants nothing to do with the situation that she has been put in.

I thought the most interesting thing about this book was the setting. This book is defined as a dystopian book. What I thought was so interesting about this world was the caste system that is in place in society. The castes are numbered 1-8 (1 being the royal family and 8 being the worst off) America and her family are in the fifth caste. Depending upon the caste that you are born or married into you are given different job and life style options. The world that America grew up in completely fascinated me to no end and I absolutely loved it.

The castle and tv show settings I thought were just extremely beautiful and unique. The palace had a magnificent feel to it and the TV setting was just so unique I wanted to jump right in and experience it myself.

America is really an amazing character. Even though she is in the running to become queen and has the chance for a better life and everything, she never wanted to be where she was. Her family and her boyfriend made her try and sign up and that completely fascinated me about her. All of the other girls that are trying to win Prince Maxon's heart are there to win, in many cases the crown and not the man. Maxon was another character I really liked. Though Maxon was a prince who had never really experienced the world outside of royalty, he was very willing to listen to America as she told him about all the problems and troubles of the outer castes.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/1/12 Ten

Ten by Gretchen McNeil
Publication Date: September 18th
Goodreads

And their doom comes swiftly.

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off the from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?